The mother of a woman who was killed in Moncton nearly two years ago says there is no justice for her daughter after a delay in the court case.
Claude Francis Blanchard was originally accused of first-degree murder in the death of 35-year-old Candice Kennedy-Faguy in September of 2018; he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter at a court appearance in January of 2020.
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Blanchard was due in provincial court Thursday to be sentenced for the manslaughter charge, but the defence lawyer said they needed more time to complete a pre-sentence report.
That didn’t sit well with Sharon Kennedy, Candice’s mother, who was in court ready to read her victim impact statement.
“Claude Blanchard is the one that’s getting all the justice. He is the one that is getting all the delays. We’re not getting justice for Candice in this case,” she told reporters. “I’m sorry to say that, but we don’t feel we are.”
Kennedy raised concerns about her victim impact statement being partially redacted.
“Half of it was deleted,” she said. “All I can talk about is how much I love her. I can’t talk about the case, even if it’s factual.”
“What is the point of a victim impact statement, what is it for? Isn’t it for my daughter, Candice Kennedy, who’s dead at the hands of Claude Blanchard?”
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“She was loved,” Kennedy said while showing reporters a photo of her daughter that she intended to show the judge during the sentencing hearing before it was adjourned.
A pre-sentence report covers background information on a criminal which can be factored into a sentencing decision.
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Before Judge Troy Sweet granted the adjournment, the Crown prosecutor for the case said they were ready to proceed Thursday, and that the victim’s family was present.
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There were three different attempts made to have Blanchard take part in a pre-sentence report, most recently in May, but he declined, according to Crown prosecutor Annie St-Jacques.
The family needs closure, or at least to be able to put sentencing behind them, St-Jacques said.
Kennedy-Faguy was reported missing by RCMP in September of 2018.
According to a news release issued at the time of her disappearance, Kennedy-Faguy, 35, was last heard from on Sept. 22. Her body was found on West Lane late on the afternoon of Sept. 26, and the death was later ruled a homicide.
The sentencing hearing was set for July 9.
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