The man found guilty of manslaughter after a fatal one-punch attack in 2017 has been sentenced to two years and six days in federal prison, followed by two years probation.
Lawrence Sharpe’s sentence comes more than two years after he delivered a single blow to the face of 22-year-old Michael Page-Vincelli in a Burnaby Starbucks, knocking him to the ground.
Page-Vincelli died in hospital after suffering a skull fracture when he hit the floor.
During the trial this spring, the court heard Sharpe’s girlfriend Oldouz Pournouruz had been sitting in her car in the parking lot outside the Kensington Square Royal Bank in June 2017, when Page-Vincelli threw a lit cigarette at her.
WATCH: (Sept. 3) Sentencing hearing in ‘one-punch’ manslaughter trial
A witness testified that Page-Vincelli called Pournouruz a “dirty immigrant” and told her to go back to her country, at which point the incident escalated.
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The court heard that Pournouruz replied that she would go get her boyfriend to beat Page-Vincelli up. Moments later, the fatal interaction occurred in a nearby Starbucks.
Surveillance video shown in court shows Sharpe entering the Royal Bank, then exiting when Pournouruz comes in to get him.
Video from the Starbucks shows Page-Vincelli enter the cafe. Shortly afterwards, Sharpe and Pournouruz are seen entering the cafe.
Pournouruz points at Page-Vincelli, who is eating from a bag of chips, at which point Sharpe walks over and punches him in the face, knocking him to the floor. The couple then exits the cafe.
Pournouruz was also charged with manslaughter on allegations she incited and directed the attack, but was found not guilty.
WATCH: (March 2) Jury reaches verdict in fatal one punch assault
Crown had asked for Sharpe to serve two to three years behind bars, while defence called for less time in prison and a longer probation.
Tuesday saw members of Page-Vincelli’s family read victim impact statements to Sharpe, who later expressed his remorse.
“I am sorry to the tip of my toes to what happened,” he told the court. “I don’t understand it. I’ll never understand it.
“Nothing can be taken because I have nothing left,” he later said. “There’s nothing else to take.”
Page-Vincelli’s mother Steffany Page told reporters after that hearing she did not accept Sharpe’s apology, adding two years was unfair.
Now that the sentence has been handed out, Page says she’s far from satisfied.
“My gut says it’s not fair.”
—With files from Rumina Daya, Simon Little and Grace Ke
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