It was an emotional day at the Kelowna courthouse on the second day of sentencing for Chad Alphonse.
The 28-year-old Kelowna man was found guilty of manslaughter in the 2016 stabbing death of his friend, Waylon Jackson, during a drunken brawl in the victim’s Rutland home.
On Wednesday afternoon, the sentence was handed down: No jail time, a suspended sentence and three years of probation.
Jackson’s mother, Christine, travelled from northern Alberta to deliver her victim impact statement. She told the judge she feels guilty about not being able to protect her son and described how she attempted to take her own life.
WATCH BELOW: an extended interview with Percy Jackson, the father of a man who was fatally stabbed in March 2016.
“I never got a chance to say goodbye,” said Christine Jackson. “Neither did other family members. My birthday will never been the same. I almost committed suicide and I almost succeeded, but I came out of it realizing my other children needed me.”
Because the accused is First Nations, the judge took into consideration a Gladue Report — which requires judges to examine an aboriginal offender’s background when considering the sentence. The victim’s father says the Gladue Report is a copout.
“That’s just another loophole — like something for natives to get away with. I’m native and I disagree with that whole Gladue Report as an excuse to escape punishment. And every native should understand that. I’m angry about that Gladue Report, it shouldn’t even exist. You don’t need it.”
The crown asked for a jail term of between four and eight years for Alphonse whereas the defence asked for time served and three years of probation.