The man charged in the 2013 stabbing death of Matthew Brown has been sentenced to nine years in jail. With credit for time served, Walker Eli Risling will spend only two more years behind bars.
Brown was stabbed to death at a Taradale house party on Jan. 15, 2013.
The 30-year-old had lived in the home in the 0-100 block of Taradale Close N.E. and had been hosting a small gathering when a fight broke out.
Walker Eli Risling was originally convicted of second-degree murder in the case, but the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled he should be given a new trial.
On Friday, Risling pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
“I was satisfied upon review of this case that if Mr. Risling had been competently defended at the first trial, it would have resulted in a manslaughter verdict,” Assistant Chief Crown Prosecutor Gord Haight said.
“My guess is that if a manslaughter plea was offered at the first trial, the Crown would have accepted it then. But of course, that didn’t happen.”
In her victim impact statement, Brown’s wife spoke about the hardship she and her now five-year-old daughter have faced since his death nearly five years ago.
“Time doesn’t heal all wounds,” Jennifer Harker said.
Speaking to court before the sentence was imposed, Risling was apologetic.
“I can’t express how sorry I am for my cowardly actions,” he said.
“There is no amount of good that will make up for what I’ve done.”
– With files from 770 CHQR’s Aurelio Perri