Jeffery Richardson

The accused pleaded guilty to seven offences committed between November and December 2017, including uttering threats to cause death, robbery with a firearm, disguise with intent, theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and possession of property obtained by crime.

The offences included a home invasion robbery where the accused and an accomplice, armed with pellet guns, forcibly entered the residence of the victims, bound their hands, and stole approximately $5,000 in cash and a vehicle.

The accused also made threatening social media posts against another individual.

The court imposed a global sentence of 84 months imprisonment, with ancillary orders including a non-communication order, DNA sample requirement, and lifetime weapons prohibition.

The accused, Michael Vitello and Salvatore Raia, were jointly charged with conspiracy to kidnap, sexually assault, and murder Sonia Bernard/Vitello.

Vitello also faced multiple individual charges including assault, mischief (damaging property, car with sugar, dog interference), watching or besetting, and bail breaches, to which he pleaded guilty to some.

The court found both Vitello and Raia guilty of conspiracy based on extensive corroborative evidence, including witness testimony, cellphone records, and surveillance footage, detailing a gruesome plan to abduct, sexually assault, murder, dismember, freeze, and dispose of the victim's body.

A key witness, Chris Richards, initially involved in the plot, warned the victim, preventing the crime.

The court accepted Richards' testimony, finding him credible despite minor inconsistencies, and rejected the defense's characterization of him as a manipulative liar.

Vitello was also convicted on all remaining individual charges.

The offender was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder following a violent rampage against three women.

The court considered the principles of sentencing, emphasizing denunciation and retribution given the horrific and cold-blooded nature of the crimes.

The court ordered a 20-year period of parole ineligibility for the second-degree murder and directed that the periods of parole ineligibility for all three murders be served consecutively, resulting in a total period of 70 years without parole eligibility.

Two young men pleaded guilty to armed robbery and related offences.

The Crown sought seven years imprisonment; defence counsel sought four years.

The court imposed a sentence of five years and six months (60 months total), comprising 18 months credit for pre-sentence custody at an enhanced 1.5:1 ratio plus 42 months additional imprisonment.

The court balanced serious aggravating factors—including the use of a loaded shotgun that was discharged during the robbery, targeting a vulnerable convenience store clerk, and the offenders' lack of firearms licenses—against significant mitigating factors including youth, genuine remorse, guilty pleas, positive pre-sentence reports, and the offences being out of character.

Lifetime firearms prohibitions and DNA orders were imposed.

The Crown prosecuted two defendants for breaking and entering a dairy farmer's residence, committing theft, and related offences.

The defendants were charged with jointly breaking and entering and stealing property, possessing stolen property, and possessing a stolen GPS.

One defendant was additionally charged with robbery for physically assaulting the homeowner during the break-in.

The other defendant was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and assault with a weapon for throwing a rock at the homeowner.

The trial judge convicted both defendants on the break and enter and theft charges, and on possession of property stolen from the residence.

One defendant was convicted of robbery, the other of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and assault with a weapon.

The charge regarding the stolen GPS was dismissed against both defendants due to insufficient evidence of knowledge of its stolen nature.

The accused was charged with operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood and possessing cocaine.

The Crown proceeded by summary conviction.

At trial, defence counsel conceded sufficient evidence of guilt but argued the evidence should be excluded under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the basis that sections 8, 9, and 10(b) had been infringed.

The defence argued the approved screening device demand was not made "forthwith" and the test was not conducted "forthwith" as required by the Criminal Code.

The court found no Charter infringement occurred and, in any event, would not have excluded the evidence under section 24(2) of the Charter.

The accused was found guilty of both charges.

During a criminal trial, the Crown sought to elicit from its witness in chief that she had given a previous inconsistent statement because she was afraid of the accused.

The defence objected, arguing this constituted impermissible oath-helping.

The court ruled that eliciting the fact of a previous inconsistent statement in chief does not constitute oath-helping, as it detracts from rather than bolsters the witness's truthfulness.

However, the court held that the explanation for the previous statement should generally wait for cross-examination and re-examination.

The Crown was permitted to elicit the fact of the previous statements and the timing of the witness's change of heart.

A youth was sentenced following guilty pleas to two counts of aggravated assault, one count of break and enter with assault, and multiple counts of failing to comply with court orders.

The assaults were racially motivated and occurred on August 1, 2011, against two members of the Verma family.

The youth had been on probation and undertaking release at the time of the offences.

The court imposed an 18-month concurrent sentence on the aggravated assault counts, with credit for 8 months and 15 days of pre-sentence custody on a one-to-one basis, resulting in 9 months and 15 days of further detention (6 months and 10 days in open custody, 3 months and 5 days under community supervision), followed by 18 months of probation.