The sentencing for the third male who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of restaurant owner Simon Grant was unexpectedly adjourned in La Ronge provincial court Monday.
The incident took place in April 2017. The suspect was 17-years-old at the time of the assault and cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA).
New allegations of animal abuse were included in a victim impact statement that were read on behalf of Grant’s teenage daughter. These allegations raised red flags for Judge Bob Lane about the mental health of the now 18-year-old.
Judge Lane has requested an updated psychological assessment and an updated pre-sentencing report (PSR) in order to ensure a fair sentencing. Lane says the updated documents will guarantee fairness to all involved and to ensure public safety.
The sentencing will now take place months from now, after lengthy assessments and tests are to be complete.
“It was shocking. If definitely has taken a turn that my family and I were not expecting,” said Cora Laich, Grant’s widow. “This was a very critical last leg of the court proceedings and now this will definitely drag on at least for two or three more months.”
It has not yet been decided if the suspect will be sentenced as an adult or a youth. Judge Lane says the new allegations likely won’t be a deciding factor if the male will be sentenced as an adult or a youth.
Grant was assaulted at his restaurant and succumbed to his injuries days later in Saskatoon hospital.
A 14-year-old male was charged with second-degree murder at the time of his arrest, but was later downgraded to a lesser charge of manslaughter with a guilty plea. He was sentenced to the maximum youth sentence of three years in March of 2018. He cannot be named under the YCJA.
Austin Bird, who was 18-years-old at the time, also pleaded guilty to manslaughter received a seven-year sentence in October 2017.
A new sentencing date will be set after the updated assessments and the PSR are complete.
(PHOTO: La Ronge provincial court. File photo.)