Cora Laich and her late husband Simon Grant. (submitted photo/Cora Laich)

By Derek Cornet

provincial court

Widow pushing for adult sentence as court days wind down

May 1, 2019 | 5:42 PM

After more than two years of court dates in La Ronge, the final sentencing in the killing of Simon Grant is likely to occur at the end of the month.

That’s according to Judge Robert Lane who adjourned court proceedings Wednesday until May 8 in Saskatoon. It’s expected the last witness will testify on that day, and the Crown and defence will bring forward their closing arguments in the sentencing hearing. Lane will also likely determine whether the final offender, who can’t be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, should be sentenced as either a youth or an adult for his role in Grant’s death by the end of May.

“It’s kind of been a yo-yo up and down of what this sentence is going to be,” Grant’s widow Cora Laich said about the last three days of testimony. “There have been witnesses who have testified for the youth sentence, the Intensive Rehabilitation Custody Supervision (IRCS) program, and there’s been witnesses from the federal program and corrections.”

Since Grant was attacked at his Lousiana’s Bar-B-Que restaurant on April 15, 2017, Laich said she has been to La Ronge 19 times for court dates for all three killers who plead guilty to manslaughter including Austin Bird, who received seven years in prison, and a 15-year-old boy who was given three years at a youth facility. For most of the court dates, Laich brought along a small urn of her late husband’s ashes as its important for her to bring a piece of him along with her.

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Laich has been pushing for the final young offender to be sentenced as an adult due to the large role he played in Grant’s death. On Monday, there was discussion about how he had been recommended for an IRCS sentencing meaning he would have more therapeutic resources available to him should he be sentenced as a youth. Laich believes an IRCS sentence would be inappropriate in this case.

“As far as the victims, we’re allowed to know when there is any parole, we’re allowed to know any progress,” she said if the offender is sentenced as an adult. “I feel the IRCS program just would not work. One of the biggest things I noticed about it is seems as soon as the sentence is over, it’s done and there’s no follow-up in the community. As well, there’s no contact with the victims.”

With two more court dates set for Saskatoon this month and the sentencing of the final offender likely coming in the next few weeks, Laich wants the judge to focus on public safety when handing down his sentence.

“His role in the offence was much more than the other two and it would seem the sentence would reflect some of that,” she said. “Public safety is the number one thing in the federal program, whereas in the youth programming, it’s rehabilitation. I think public safety is something the judge needs to take a very good look at, especially in the community of La Ronge. I think the public deserves to have some closure on that.”

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno