Jeff Longman, the grandfather of Nikosis Jace Cantre. File photo.
The sentencing hearing for a teenager who killed an infant boy continues in Saskatoon this week.
The hearing is trying to determine whether an adult sentence is appropriate.
In July 2016, the then 16-year-old killed six-week-old, Nikosis Jace Cantre, at his home in Saskatoon. An act which she pleaded guilty to doing. The girl cannot be identified because of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The 16-year-old was in the home after escaping from a youth correctional facility while serving a ten-month sentence. She was considered a high-risk to reoffend while serving the sentence.
The teenager told police she killed the boy because she had a lot of anger.
Crown lawyers are using Tuesday’s hearing to lay out what would be in store for the now 18-year-old if she was sentenced as either a youth or an adult. Several witnesses discussed the programs and services that would be available to her if in a youth correctional centre or a federal one. One expert said that a youth facility would not be enough to address the “life-long” needs of the offender. A youth sentence would come with a 7 year prison sentence.
The family of Nikosis Jace Cantre is asking for an adult sentence.
The hearing is scheduled for the remainder of the week at the Saskatoon provincial courthouse.
The following is an agreed statement of facts as presented by Crown and defence lawyers on Tuesday morning.
CONTENT WARNING, information below contains graphic details.
On July 2, 2016, the teenager in question escaped from Kilborn Hall Youth Correctional Centre in Regina.
She then met members of Nikosis Jace Cantre’s family at a bus terminal in downtown Saskatoon and asked for help. The family members provided her with food and clothing and took her home after they discovered EGADZ was closed.
Family agreed to let her stay at the house.
Sometime during the night, the teenager heard the baby crying, and after briefly holding him, she began to strangle him. She then pushed a nail through his cheek and stomped on his head.
The boy’s body was discovered by the family who immediately called 911. He was pronounced dead a short time later. An autopsy later determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.
After she was arrested, the then 16 year-old confessed her actions to Saskatoon police officers.
Many were crying while the statement of facts were read.