‘Indescribable’ loss
Logan MacAusland sentenced to life in prison, no chance of parole for 10 years
A 20-year-old man who stabbed a friend to death on a Charlottetown street will spend at least the next 10 years in prison after a judge sentenced him to life in prison Wednesday.
Logan Raymond Kenneth MacAusland appeared before Chief Justice Tracey Clements in P.E.I. Supreme Court to hear her decision on a sentence after he previously pleaded guilty to second degree murder.
In sentencing MacAusland, Clements followed a joint recommendation from the Crown and defence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, MacAusland sat at the defence table wearing a light blue dress shirt and glasses as he looked straight ahead while
Clements spoke.
MacAusland showed little emotion throughout the roughly one hour it took Clements to read her decision.
He only spoke a few times while in the courtroom, including before the proceedings started when he turned to face people in the public gallery behind him and thanked them for coming.
MacAusland did the same on his way out of the courtroom, waving to several people as the sheriffs started to lead him away.
“I love you,” he said before leaving.
On the last court date, the Crown read an agreed statement of facts that detailed the events leading up to the fatal stabbing on Spring Street in February.
The court heard MacAusland and victim Cody MacLean met several years ago before reconnecting in January while staying at a Charlottetown motel.
MacAusland and MacLean went to a home in the city to do a drug transaction, but MacLean ran off with methamphetamine.
The court heard MacAusland chased him down, punched him repeatedly and stabbed him after MacLean said, “let me explain” several times.
MacAusland stabbed MacLean seven or eight times hitting his liver, kidneys and lungs along with a fatal wound to his heart.
After the stabbing, MacAusland reached into MacLean’s jacket, took the drugs and fled.
He also later head-butted and bit a police officer during his arrest.
Later, he punched a different officer and spit on two others at the police station.
As Clements read her decision Wednesday, she started by saying it was an incredibly tragic case.
“The loss for many is indescribable,” she said.
Second degree murder has a mandatory sentence of life in prison, and Clements said the only discretion she had was on the period of time before MacAusland is eligible for parole.
Clements said the gravity of the offence was apparent with MacAusland stabbing MacLean in a moment of uncontrolled anger.
“This was a violent and brutal attack,” she said.
Members of MacLean’s family and other supporters were in the courtroom, filling several benches in the public gallery as they listened to Clements’ decision.
After sentencing MacAusland, Clements said the loss in the case is profound.
“All of us struggle to understand or make sense of this tragedy,” she said.
Clements also said MacAusland will carry the result of his actions for the rest of his life.
Along with the prison sentence, MacAusland will also be subject to a lifetime weapons prohibition and he must provide a DNA sample for the national databank.