A man charged with second-degree murder has pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Judge Bonnie Warkentin found Charles Casmey guilty on Friday. She sentenced him to twelve and a half years with time served it comes out to ten years and eight months.
Casmey was arrested and charged after a standoff on McTavish Street. The standoff was several days after a February 26th, 2018 incident that left 63-year-old Joseph Pruys dead and injured a 25-year-old woman at a home on McLaughlin Street.
Court heard Casmey was living in the basement of his mother’s house with his girlfriend and his mother’s common-law boyfriend Joseph Pruys.
During the early morning hours of February 26th, a fight broke out between Casmey and his girlfriend after they spent the evening drinking and doing cocaine. Casmey stabbed Pruys fourteen times in a bedroom. The victim died quickly and the court heard Pruys most likely passed away about 5-10 minutes after being stabbed.
Judge Warkentin apologized to the family of the deceased because there was a two-hour delay to the start of the hearing. She said she understands that this is a very difficult and challenging time for them.
Casmey was brought from jail wearing a black suit with a large white collared dress shirt.
In sentencing submissions the Crown attorney told the judge Charles Casmey is not youthful as Casmey’s defence suggests. Crown Gordon Fillmore said Casmey was 31-years-old at the time and that is well into adulthood. Fillmore described the attack as vicious. He noted Pruys was in his own home and in his own bedroom when he was stabbed 14 times.
Three victim impact statements were read to the court, one from Pruys son, daughter and brother.
His daughter’s letter told Casmey he took away her opportunity to be with her father. She went on to say her father will never be able to meet his grandchildren, that Casmey robbed them of that. She closed by saying she would never forgive him.
During the reading of the victim impact statements, Pruys family members cried and were visibly upset.
Before the judge handed down her sentence, Casmey addressed the court through his lawyer. His lawyer told the court he has no words or actions that will allow him to take back what has happened. The lawyer added Casmey is very sorry for what he did.
