Family of murder victim Gilby addresses court
Carl Quinton showed no emotion Thursday as the daughter of the man he was convicted of bludgeoning to death shared emotional memories of her late father.
“I will never forget the laughs we had and the memories we made,” a tearful Michele Gilby said of her father Mark Gilby.
“I love you and I hope that I made you proud as you’ve done for me.”
A jury earlier this month found Quinton, 60, guilty of second-degree murder.
He returned to Superior Court of Justice in St. Catharines on Thursday for sentencing, which was adjourned until June 26 so that a pre-sentence report could be prepared.
Several victim impact letters from Gilby’s siblings were submitted to court. Michelle Gilby, who had travelled from British Columbia to attend Thursday’s court hearing, was given the opportunity to read her statement in court.
She spoke of how her father was her hero, someone who “always made me feel like the most important person in the world.”
“I’m sure you know how grateful I am that you were my dad.”
She said her father had rescued her and her mother from a house fire when she was a child.
“You were my hero. I’m sorry I couldn’t be yours. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
The crime scene photos of her father’s blood-spattered apartment, she said, continue to haunt her.
“I know you wouldn’t have given up easily. I know you fought for your life. Did you suffer?”
Gilby, 58, had suffered two strokes and was living on a disability pension. He had mobility issues and used a three-wheeled scooter to get around.
He was found dead inside his St. Catharines apartment on Jan. 19, 2014, after paramedics were called to check on the welfare of a tenant.
Quinton was arrested in February 2015.
He was originally charged with first-degree murder. Following a trial, a jury deliberated for almost nine hours before returning with a verdict of guilty to second-degree murder.
The eight-man, four-woman jury was told Gilby answered a knock at his door and was repeatedly struck in the head by a man armed with a hammer. He died of blunt force trauma.
“I can still hear your voice,” his daughter said in court. “I’m afraid that one day I won’t remember your voice.”
Defence lawyer Geoffrey Hadfield said he’s also seeking to have his client undergo a psychological assessment prior to sentencing.