Randall Enright was given 10 years behind bars Tuesday for what Justice Rodney A Jerke called a brutal and senseless act. He added Enright killed Matt Flitton in a violent knife attack in September 2015. Enright stabbed Flitton 14 times.
Enright was given a day-and-a-half credit for each day he was behind bars prior to sentencing. He has eight years and 287 days left to serve.
Flitton’s sister, Dalayna Taverner, felt the sentence was not stiff enough.
“Matt opened his house up to him and this is what we get,” she said.
“We get to live without Matt for the rest of our lives and he gets eight-and-a-half frickin’ years. What a joke. It’s unbelievable.”
Enright was originally charged with second-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
READ MORE: Randall Enright pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of Matt Flitton
Flitton’s wife Kaylee said no sentence would ever be justice for Matt. With a 10-year sentence, Enright has the ability to still have a future that Matt will never have.
“He’ll get a chance to have a family. He’ll get a chance to meet someone and we have to deal with this loss forever,” Kaylee said.
“There is no amount of years that they could have given that would ease the pain that each and every one of us feel. There is no amount of years.”
Defence lawyer Greg White said his client agrees with Flitton’s family and accepts the sentence he’s been given.
“There’s never been a case of a stabbing in Alberta that has gone above nine years and so this is the highest sentence somebody has ever got for a stabbing in Alberta,” he explained.
“It’s in the range, so it’s definitely an appropriate sentence. Again, that is no consolation for Mr. Flitton’s family.”
Originally, the Crown had asked for a sentence of between 12 and 16 years. The defence had said seven-and-a-half to 10 years would be appropriate.
White added his client plans to enrol in a drug and alcohol treatment program while he is in federal prison.
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