Sudbury man sentenced for role in arson that killed three people
A Sudbury man has been sentenced for his role in a fatal townhouse fire in Sudbury, Ont., that killed three people.
Philippe Jeannotte, a 36-year-old carpenter, is one of two men who pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the deadly 2021 fire.
At a hearing Thursday afternoon, Justice Patrick Boucher sentenced Jeannotte to 16 years in prison, receiving 13 years for each death to be served concurrently. He has been in jail since his arrest in April 2021 shortly after the fire and received three years of pre-sentencing credit, which includes a total of 125 days of lockdown while in prison during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has also been ordered to pay $250,000 in restitution to the City of Greater Sudbury for the damages to the geared-to-income units involved in the fire.
Jeannotte is one of five men charged in the April 11, 2021, arson at the city's largest family townhouse complex -- formerly known as Ryan Heights – on Bruce Avenue in the Flour Mill area.
In December 2022, he and one of his co-accused, 36-year-old Jared Herrick, pleaded guilty to three counts of manslaughter and one count of arson causing bodily harm.
Jeannotte was originally charged with three counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and arson – disregard for human life.
He is the second of the five accused to be sentenced.
Riley Roy, 27, pleaded guilty last fall to attempting to obstruct police. He was originally being charged with conspiracy to commit a break and enter.
Charges against Fernand Bolduc were stayed Sept. 15, 2022, and will be held for a year to give the Crown time to get more evidence, a Sudbury court clerk told CTV News on the phone Thursday.
Herrick has not yet been sentenced.
Another man, Liam Stinson, who is accused of murder in the case, has elected to be tried by jury. No trial dates have been set.
A 26-year-old woman died at the scene, a 50-year-old man and 33-year-old woman succumbed to injuries sustained in the blaze while in hospital and a fourth man escaped by jumping out a second-story window.
About 15 people were evacuated from neighbouring units.
Details about the case can't be reported due to a publication ban.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.