One of three accused in a 2017 death was sentenced Monday in a Kelowna courtroom.
On Monday morning, Joshua Fleurant pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in relation to the April 2017 death of Michael Walter Bonin near Hope.
The 20-year-old’s body was found on a rural forest service road.
Fleurant was sentenced to life in prison, which is the automatic sentence when someone is found guilty of second-degree murder.
It’s then up to the justice to set the date of parole eligibility.
In this case both, Crown and defence jointly argued that Fleurant should not be eligible for parole for 20 years and the justice agreed.
Fleurant will also face firearms and weapons restrictions once he is released from custody and is required to provide a DNA sample.
He is one of three people charged in connection with Bonin’s death.
Police announced the arrests of Fleurant, Ryan Watt, and Jared Jorgenson in January 2018
Publication bans designed to ensure the other men accused in this case get a fair trial mean Global News can’t publish many of the details presented in court on Monday.
Jury selection for the Jorgenson trial is expected to start in mid-May, while the Watt trial is expected to get underway next January.