A B.C. mother convicted of smothering her eight-year-old daughter to death has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 15 years.
In her reasons for sentencing on Tuesday, Justice Catherine Murray said Lisa Batstone planned to smother her daughter Teagan before killing herself on Dec. 10, 2014, but she could not follow through with the suicide.
Murray said Batstone’s actions were selfish and intended to ensure her daughter did not end up with her ex-husband after her own death.
She said though Batstone was likely suffering from depression, anxiety and borderline personality disorder at the time, her mental issues did not significantly mitigate her moral culpability.
In March, Batstone was found guilty of second-degree murder in the case.
Police had found the girl’s body in the trunk of Batstone’s vehicle in Surrey.
The court heard that Teagan was smothered with a plastic bag, and prosecutors played video and audio recordings of her mother saying she wanted her daughter to “be with Jesus.”
WATCH: Sentencing hearing for B.C. mother who killed her daughter
Crown argued that Batstone had knowingly killed the girl, doing it while Teagan slept to ensure she didn’t suffer.
Batstone was found mentally fit for trial, however, her lawyer argued there was evidence calling her mental state into question and whether she was actually aware that what she was doing was morally wrong.
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 16 to 18 years, arguing that Batstone had abused her position of trust to kill her daughter and that she had deflected blame since the murder.
Defence had asked for the 10-year minimum sentence.
-With files from the Canadian Press
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