Edmonton man to be sentenced for murders of two children, assault of their mother

EDMONTON

A sentencing hearing has begun for a man who admitted to assaulting his girlfriend and killing her two young children.

The man is not being named to comply with a court-ordered publication ban requested by Crown prosecutors to protect the identity of the children.

One was three and the other was six months old.

The man pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder, aggravated assault and breach of probation.

The children’s mother says in her victim impact statement that she has been torn up physically and emotionally, and continues to have nightmares.

The man automatically gets a life sentence for murder, and the Crown says it is putting forward a joint recommendation with the defence that he not be eligible to apply for parole for 17 years.

Prosecutors say the sentence must send a strong message.

“The harm involved the death of two young children and the brutal assault of the accused’s intimate partner,” Danielle Green said Thursday.

“The accused committed these offences while on probation as a result of an assault he had previously committed on the same complainant.”

The hearing is to continue Friday with submissions from the defence.