Allyson McConnell, the mother convicted of manslaughter in the deaths of her two young sons, was sentenced to 6 years for each death to be served concurrently.
Emerging from the Wetaskiwin law courts, the family appeared outraged, and wiped away tears. Jim McConnell, the boys’ grandfather, called the sentence a bloody joke, asking if that was all the kids’ lives are worth.
When asked about the family’s reaction, Crown Prosecutor Gordon Hatch replied; “I fully understand it. It’s an emotional time.”
“There’s this desire always to try to explain the sentence as a basis for how much the children’s lives are worth, and that’s certainly not how we want to approach it,” sais Hatch.
“It’s something that I’ve discussed with the family over and over again; that’s not how the law works. But it’s understandable from a human standpoint; that they hear the words 6 years, and it’s just a reflection, in their belief, of the children’s lives.”
McConnell, 33, admitted to drowning her sons, 10 month old Jayden and 2 year old Connor in their home in Millet on February 1, 2010.
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She testified she remembered little about the weekend her sons died and court heard through the trial that she was severely depressed when she killed her sons.
Justice Michelle Crighton ruled there wasn’t enough evidence to convict McConnell of second degree murder.
Monday morning, Justice Crighton sentenced McConnell to six years, but gave her 2 for 1 credit for time already served. That time began February 1, 2010, the day she was taken to hospital after jumping off an Edmonton overpass.
“She’s been in custody – well, she’s been in care – since Februrary 1st of 2010, when this all happened, to today’s date,” explained Hatch. “That brought it up to 855 days, and because this happened before some new laws came into effect on February 22, 2010, she was allowed 2 for 1 credit for that period of time.”
The sentence equals 15 months, and under the law she could be eligible for release after serving 10 months.
The Judge recommended McConnell stay at Alberta Hospital where she remains on suicide watch. The Judge says there, it will be up to the doctors to determine when it’s safe to transfer McConnell.
Her lawyer says her home country of Australia has already accepted her request to serve the rest of her sentence in that country.
“Mr. Royal had indicated on last occasion that the government has already taken steps to deport Ms. McConnell, as I understood it,” said Hatch. “That may be impacted by the fact that the Crown has now launched an appeal, which means that the issues are still live before the Canadian Court,” he explained. “I suspect that they’ll have to wait until the appeal is over.”
In the appeal, the Crown is asking the Court of Appeal to overturn McConnell’s manslaughter conviction and instead find her guilty of the original charges second-degree murder, or order a new trial.
“I’m a lawyer, and I accept the fact that often times my position won’t necessarily be accepted by the judge,” remarked Hatch. “I respect the process; I disagree with the sentence.”
With files from Kendra Slugoski
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