Sudbury man sentenced to 15 years for manslaughter in downtown stabbing death
It was an emotional day in a Sudbury courtroom Thursday as family and friends read victim impact statements in a manslaughter trial.
The fatal stabbing happened in downtown Sudbury near the provincial building in November of 2019. Preston Pellerin, 17, died of a single stab wound that punctured his heart.
The man responsible, 19-year-old Steffin Rees, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced Thursday to 15 years with no chance of parole for seven and half years.
The judge heard Rees grew up unloved and his lawyer, Robert Beckett, said the social system failed him.
"He was in 18 foster homes," Beckett said. "He was in, multiple times, in group homes and then at 18 he was put out on his own to live independently and he didn't have what it takes to be on his own."
The judge heard Rees and Pellerin were friends after meeting in a group home. They were in a dispute over a stolen lockbox belonging to Rees containing $80, speed pills and his birth certificate.
In the investigation, police recovered rap lyrics written by Rees about harming Pellerin. The judge also heard Pellerin was a childhood cancer survivor, only to die at such a young age.
Before being sentenced, Rees apologized to the victim's family and said he will take as much therapy that is available.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.