Cecil Dorion’s funeral program. Photo courtesy Facebook.

Court documents say a Pelican Narrows man who received an eight-year manslaughter sentence on Tuesday had been best friends with his victim since childhood.

Dale Morin, 22, entered the guilty plea in Pelican Narrows for the February death of Cecil Dorion, who was 22 at the time.

Dorion’s aunt told court she forgives Morin and that she wants all of Pelican Narrows to forgive him, said Crown prosecutor Fran Atkinson. Atkinson said when Morin stood to speak to the victim’s family, they gathered around him and hugs were shared.

The agreed facts in this case say Morin and Dorion had been drinking together all day and getting along even though Dorion tried to stab Morin.

By nightfall, the two were at a party at Morin’s home and were seen entering Morin’s bedroom.

Morin later made a phone call to 9-11, and Dorion was found face-up lying on a bed with 10 stab wounds. He was taken to the local health centre where he was pronounced dead.

That night, Morin told a friend “he had done something bad and would be going to jail.”

However, it took three weeks for him to turn himself in.

At the time of Dorion’s death, Morin had been serving a conditional sentence and there had been a warrant out for his arrest.

The Crown has agreed to drop Morin’s past charges which include: common assault; belonging to a criminal organization; committing a masked home invasion, and uttering a death threat.