'Unprovoked and senseless': Sentencing starts for man who robbed and killed a retired Prince Albert bus driver
On Wednesday, court heard sentencing arguments for a man who killed a retired Prince Albert bus driver during a robbery.
In March 2020, David Maxemiuk was returning home after visiting his sister Violet.
The 61-year-old was found unconscious on the ground near his garage a back alley in Prince Albert’s Midtown neighbourhood. He later died in hospital in Saskatoon.
Earlier this year, Kenny Morin, 22, was found guilty of manslaughter and robbery in connection to Maxemiuk's death.
Video surveillance shows the attack lasted only 25 seconds where Morin delivered eight to nine blows to Maxemiuk and then took his wallet and made no attempt to assist the victim.
Maxemiuk’s sister says it’s been difficult for her to come to grips with his death.
“It was unexpected. It wasn’t due to natural means,” Violet Maxemiuk told CTV News outside court on Wednesday.
She says he was a happy person who was looking forward to full retirement.
“I enjoyed his company, he was more than just a brother, he was a friend to me and he helped me a great deal. He’s going to sadly be missed by me and others,” she said.
The Crown has asked for the maximum sentence for manslaughter of 15 years, arguing the attack was “unprovoked and senseless”.
She said the two men were strangers and the interaction occurred for no apparent reason.
A police officer who attended the scene testified that he could not determine Maxemiuk’s ethnicity due to the bruising and swelling on his face.
Due to the severity of his injuries, he was transferred to a hospital in Saskatoon the day of the attack and died five days later.
Morin’s defence lawyer says an appropriate sentence for the crime would be six years and six months.
In a victim impact statement, his niece said Maxemiuk was kind and would often help the elderly and homeless.
After the sentencing arguments were made, Morin’s mother, Clara Morin addressed the court. She says she moved her family from Sandy Bay to Prince Albert in search of a better life and that she wished her son had received help while incarcerated in a provincial jail for previous offences.
"My son doesn’t have the counselling and the resources that he needs,” said Clara Morin.
She said her son used to help her do homecare and was a hard worker. She also apologized to the family for his actions.
“My condolences to the family. I never thought that this was going to happen to my children,” said Morin’s mother.
When given a chance to speak in court Morin addressed the family and said, “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
The Crown also referenced Morin’s prior convictions and stated that Morin committed the attack only a few months after being released from jail after serving a sentence for an assault conviction.
The case returns to Court of Queen’s Bench in Prince Albert on Aug. 2 when Justice G.A. Meschishnick is expected to sentence Morin.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ontario to ban use of cellphones in school classrooms starting in September
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
'Do not consume': Gift Chocolate recalled due to undeclared milk, soy
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Zendaya tennis movie ‘Challengers’ scores at weekend box office
Zendaya and castmates Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor have been on a globetrotting press tour to get the word out about Italian director Luca Guadagnino's original film, which opened in 3,477 locations in the U.S. and Canada.
BREAKING Quebec to invest $603 million to protect the French language
Quebec will invest $603 million over five years to counter the decline of French in the province, French Language Minister Jean-Francois Roberge announced Sunday.
Kitchener family says their 10-year-old needs life-saving drug that cost $600,000
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Key mediator Qatar urges Israel and Hamas to do more to reach a cease-fire deal
A senior Qatari official has urged Israel and Hamas to show "more commitment and more seriousness" in ceasefire negotiations in interviews with Israeli media, as pressure builds to reach a deal that would free some Israeli hostages and bring a ceasefire in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Murder charge laid after man falls to death from Toronto apartment balcony
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.