A second man charged in the 2014 death of Dustin Boulet has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Nathan Joseph entered the plea Thursday at Saskatoon’s Court of Queen’s Bench before a judge accepted a joint submission from the Crown and defence for a 12-year prison sentence.
The 30-year-old was one of two men charged after Boulet was killed outside Bridges bar on 22nd Street West in March 2014.
Boulet was out celebrating his 29th birthday and was stabbed while trying to break up a fight, according to an agreed statement of facts in the case. He was one of three people stabbed. The other two survived.
His family, many of whom read victim impact statements in court Thursday, were unhappy with Joseph’s plea and sentence.
“They call it manslaughter. It was murder,” his father, Glenn Boulet, said outside court. “The court system and justice system has failed this community, and my son and my family, once again.”
Joseph, who also pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault in the stabbing of two of Boulet’s friends during the fight, entered a not guilty plea to a second-degree murder charge.
He was sentenced to 10 years for the manslaughter charge and one year for each of the aggravated assault offences — which works out to five years and eight months, after time served. He won’t be eligible for parole for five years, and if he is granted parole, he will be deported back to his home in Saint Lucia.
Boulet’s father said he would have liked to see a sentence of 20 years.
“Dustin was a great human being who loved his community, loved sports, loved his friends, loved his family. It’s not justified what happened here today,” Glenn said.
Joseph turned himself in to police after the stabbing. His lawyer told court Thursday he accepts responsibility for his actions.
She said Joseph’s throat was slashed six months prior to Boulet’s death. The attack was unexpected, according to his lawyer. He was afraid and worried he’d be attacked again the night he stabbed Boulet.
The other man charged, Estevan Fuenzalida, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in September 2014 and was sentenced to two years in jail.
