NEWS FILE PHOTO The Medicine Hat Law Courts are seen in this News file photo. A guilty plea to manslaughter was entered Tuesday by Luke Boxell, one of two men charged with second-degree murder for a New Year’s Eve 2016 incident in Medicine Hat.
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A guilty plea to manslaughter was entered Tuesday by one of two men charged with second-degree murder for a New Year’s Eve 2016 incident in Medicine Hat.
With his family sobbing and giving goodbye embraces in the courtroom, 23-year-old Luke Boxell was sentenced by a Court of Queen’s Bench Justice to 10 years imprisonment over the death of Jordan Pede.
Pede’s death came from an “irrational, unnecessary, senseless, tragic and violent incident,” said Justice Rodney Jerke, which has “wounded to the core” his friends and family.
Boxell’s own family is left “hurt, baffled and likewise devastated,” said Jerke.
“All for the love of drugs.”
Jerke granted the Crown’s request for a common law publication ban on the facts alleged so as to avoid tainting the jury pool for Boxell’s co-accused jury trial in January.
Boxell was charged alongside Leonard Robert Terence Beaulieu following the death of 24-year-old Pede. On New Year’s Eve 2016, Pede was found injured at Strathcona Island Park, and later died in hospital. Police have called the homicide a drug deal gone wrong, with the cause of death being a gunshot wound.
Boxell’s sentence was a joint submission between Crown and defence. While there is a vast range of sentences for the charge of manslaughter, Crown said the 10 years is within the range based on the circumstances of this case. Boxell has no previous criminal record.
Pede’s family is “devastated” by his death, said the Crown, but had decided to not submit victim impact statements.
Boxell came to Medicine Hat in 2012 from Thompson for employment, said defence counsel Lyndon Heidinger, and in 2016 was working in Fort McMurray as part of rebuilding efforts after the fires.
“It’s a hard day for everyone,” said Heidinger, as Boxell’s family sat in the court, constantly wiping away tears and putting arms around each other for support.
The impact of his actions hasn’t been lost on Boxell as he will now be missing “watershed moments” in his three-year-old daughter’s life, said Heidinger.
Boxell’s involvement that night, and his decisions were from clouded judgement – due to a combination drinking and drugs.
In March 2017, Boxell was released on a $10,000 cash surety with strict conditions, including residing under 24-hour house arrest with his family in Manitoba.
The court heard that since that release, Boxell first obtained employment at a fast food restaurant, and then secured work through an apprenticeship program at a local mechanics shop.
He did this to improve himself, and to help support his daughter, the court heard.
“Obviously in an offence like (this), denunciation and deterrence are paramount,” said Heidinger, adding that rehabilitation shouldn’t be absent.
“You owe it to your family, you owe it to society to take whatever steps it takes so we can depend on you,” said Jerke.
Boxell‘s co-accused has been held in custody since his arrest in January 2017. Although denied bail, counsel for Beaulieu is in the process of fighting for release.
A two-day preliminary hearing was held mid-December for Beaulieu, with a trial is set to run Jan. 7-22, 2019.
