Two gangland killers facing life in prison
Judge sets Dec. 12 sentencing date for killers Cody Haevischer, Matthew Johnston
The two men convicted in the Surrey Six murders will be sentenced Dec. 12 in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver.
A day after the judge in the case dismissed a bid by Cody Rae Haevischer and Matthew James Johnston to overturn their murder convictions, lawyers for the two men and the Crown made a brief appearance in court Thursday to set the date for sentencing.
Simon Buck, a lawyer for Haevischer, noted that the two men were convicted of first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison with no parole for 25 years, and conspiracy to commit murder, which carries a maximum of life in prison.
The only issue on sentencing will be how much jail time Haevischer and Johnston get on the conspiracy counts, which will run concurrently with their mandatory life sentences on the six murder counts.
Buck told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Catherine Wedge that he expected his submissions would only take an hour.
Outside court, he said he was still reviewing Wedge’s ruling that rejected the defence abuse of process application.
He noted that the defence has 30 days after sentencing to file any appeals.
The defence lawyers argued that RCMP misconduct during the investigation and the harsh pre-trial incarceration of their clients was so serious that the charges should be stayed.
But the judge said the crime itself, B.C.’s worst ever gangland slaying, was so serious that a stay of proceedings would be a disproportionate response and contrary to the interests of society.
The two men were convicted Oct. 2, following a yearlong trial.
Two other accused — former Red Scorpions gang leader Jamie Bacon and Sophon Sek — are being tried separately.