COLD LAKE - Anthony Delorme will spend the next 850 days in prison for his involvement in the deadly shooting of 49-year-old Darren Reid.
On Monday morning, Honourable Justice R. P. Belzil sentenced Delorme to five years in custody for manslaughter, less time served.
Delorme was initially charged with second-degree murder alongside three others, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter during his Feb. 22 court appearance.
Reid was found by RCMP on Jan. 29, 2019 dead in a residence near English Bay after officers responded to reports of gun fire. Four suspects including Jerry Herman, Brandon Sanregret, Cy Sharp, and Delorme were arrested.
“The senseless loss of life, especially to gun violence, is a tragedy,” described Federal Crown Prosecutor Patricia Hankinson during Delorme's sentencing July 26.
A joint submission presented virtually by the Crown in the St. Paul Provincial Courthouse proposed five years less time served. Broken down, Hankinson explained, it's 1,825 days in jail.
According to Defence Council, Kent Teskey, Delorme has shown remorse for his involvement in Reid's death.
“I can tell you Mr. Delorme has continued to exhibit great deals of remorse for what has occurred here,” he said.
"Mr. Delorme denies having fired a firearm at this residence, nor that he was responsible directly for the death of (Reid),” he detailed in court. “There is party liability for being part of this scheme that resulted in the risk of bodily harm that resulted in the death of Mr. Reid.”
Teskey added, “He isn’t minimizing his involvement."
When determining an appropriate sentence, Hankinson said they considered Delorme's criminal record, which includes "related convictions for violence and involving firearms." They also weighed the Gladue factors, and Delorme's guilty plea.
Where the Crown and defence differed, was on what to consider as time served.
Hankinson agreed time spent in custody leading up to the trial should be included, however, Teskey also wanted the days Delorme was under house arrest to be incorporated.
Delorme has spent 543 days in jail. Hankinson explained at 1.5 times credit, he has accumulated 815 days. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Crown is also granting half a day for every day spent in lockdown conditions.
This would increase the time reduced from Delorme's sentence to 945 days.
Teskey argued the duration Delorme spent under house arrest should be included, and noted it would leave his client with 850 days to serve rather than 880.
When agreeing to the sentencing, Justice Belzil considered the impact a trial would have on the family of the victim, the victim impact statements, Delorme's criminal record, and an agreed statement of facts.
"This is a tragic situation, it's an absolute waste of life," he said, noting if it had gone to trial the family would have been put in a difficult situation.
“Mr. Delorme denies firing a weapon. It’s clear from the agreed facts however, that he arrived at this residence with a weapon along with a number of others, and we have a tragic situation where Reid dies from a gunshot wound,” outlines Justice Belzil, adding based on what he read in the Gladue Report, it is clear Delorme has lived "a difficult life."
Justice Belzil agreed with Teskey that house arrest during the pandemic "was a little more difficult," and ruled to reduce 30 days from Delorme's sentence.
He also ordered Delorme to provide a sample of his DNA for the Canadian National Databank, and sentenced him to a lifetime weapons prohibition.
As of his sentencing, Delorme had 850 days left to serve.
