A Cape Breton man who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder has been sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 15 years.
Several victim impact statements were read during Brandon Berthiaume’s sentencing hearing Monday in Sydney provincial court.
“I feel no reason to forgive you for this crime,” said the victim’s sister, Ashley Kelly, in her statement.
Sherry Cable said her son had struggled with drug addiction for seven years, but that he had been trying to turn his life around.
"Brandon's murder took everything from me. Most days I just exist,” Sherry Cable told the court.
She also said that Berthiaume showed no remorse for his actions.
“I was smirked at as he entered the courtroom,” said Cable. “It's really sad that he is a human being because not to show one bit of remorse or nothing for his actions, what he done to our family, anything. My son had the biggest heart.”
The judge commenting on Berthuimes’ lack of remorse, saying , "He plead guilty before trial and readily accepted the facts in court. However, his behavior before the court is the basis for me to infer that he lacks remorse for his actions and maintains a callous disregard for actions on others."
Berthiaume was initially charged with first-degree murder in the 2015 shooting death of Brandon Kelly. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second degree murder on Aug. 14.
“It was the Crown’s position that this would fall into not the lower most range but the second ranges. The 15-to-20 years given the nature of the offence, circumstances of the offence, and the offender,” says Crown attorney Christa MacKinnon.
Police were called to a residence in Reserve Mines, N.S., on June 25, 2015. Officers found 24-year-old Kelly suffering from gunshot wounds. He died at the scene.
Berthiaume, 26, of Ben Eoin, N.S., was arrested in the Halifax area the next day and charged in Kelly’s death.
He also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of another man - Norman MacIntyre - in Reserve Mines the same day Kelly was shot and killed. A charge against Berthiaume's mother of being an accessory after the fact was dropped.
According to an agreed statement of facts, the mother of Kelly's now three-year-old child had once dated Berthiaume. It states Kelly sent several messages to Berthiaume, who started to believe Kelly would kill himself and his family.
The facts state Kelly was armed with a golf club when Berthiaume threatened him with a shotgun. Kelly died of multiple gunshot wounds.
A second-degree murder conviction comes with an automatic life sentence, with no chance of parole for at least 10 years. The Crown had been seeking at least 15 years served for parole eligibility.
Berthiaume was also sentenced to five years in prison for the attempted murder or MacIntyre, to be served concurrently with his life sentence for Kelly’s murder.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Kyle Moore
