The mother of a Cape Breton woman whose body was found in a hockey bag five years ago says no one has been held accountable for her daughter’s death.

Thomas Ted Barrett was initially charged with second-degree murder in the death of 21-year-old Laura Jessome, but he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of accessory after the fact in August.

On Tuesday, Barrett was sentenced to five years in prison, with credit for time served.

Jessome’s body was found in a hockey bag floating in the Mira River on May 25, 2012. Her mother, Edna Jessome, says justice hasn’t been served.

“He got nothing. Laura's death was for nothing,” Edna Jessome said following the sentencing.

“The Crown would tell us (and) the Cape Breton Regional Police would tell us this was an open-and-shut case,” said Laura’s aunt, Julie Forest.

Two other men were charged in connection with her death. Morgan James McNeil was initially charged with second-degree murder, but he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter in September 2016. He is serving seven years behind bars.

According to an agreed statement of facts at his sentencing, McNeil stated Barrett strangled Laura Jessome with a ligature, but McNeil was not prepared to testify.

“His own statement of facts at his own sentencing was different than what he admitted to previously,” said Crown attorney Cathy Pentz. “He was not prepared to testify and told us he was not prepared to say Tom Barrett did it, and additionally in another matter he had committed perjury.”

Robert Edwin Matheson pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact in September 2014.

Barrett is already serving a life sentence for second-degree murder in the death of a 19-year-old woman in a separate case. Brett MacKinnon’s remains were found in 2008 near a Glace Bay hiking trail, two years after she disappeared.

Barrett was sentenced in April 2016 to life in prison with no chance of parole for 15 years in MacKinnon’s death. It was learned Tuesday that he is appealing that conviction.

Barrett also addressed the court on Tuesday, saying he pleaded guilty to what he has done and recognized it was a terrible crime, but offered no apology to the Jessome family.

“At least he could've said sorry to Edna. He took Laura and we will never get over it, never get over the loss of her little Laura,” says Julie Forest.

Justice Frank Edwards stated Barrett deserves "utter contempt" and that justice has not been served because people who could have testified refused to do so.

“There's people out there that know what happened and know exactly who took her life. And they seemed to keep it to themselves. Thank you. Thank you for that,” Edna Jessome said angrily.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.