A Saskatoon-based lawyer is shedding more light about a recent sentence handed down in a provincial court-room.
William Kahpeaysewat was recently given a 13-and-a-half-year sentence for taking part in the stabbing death of a 52-year-old man.
The incident happened in July of 2009 when Kahpeaysewat and another man came upon the victim in an alley.
They wanted the liquor the man was holding and that’s when Kahpeaysewat’s companion apparently attacked the man.
In court, Kahpeaysewat said he wasn’t the person holding the knife — but nonetheless pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter.
His lawyer, Don Worme, says the so-called “law of party” applies in the case.
Worme explains that two or more individuals embarking on a “common unlawful purpose” are all liable, regardless of what role they played in the crime.
He says another example would be if you were riding in a stolen car that you knew was stolen, you would still be liable for stolen property even if you weren’t driving.
Worme adds Kahpeaysewat didn’t name the person he was with who carried out the stabbing because he feared reprisal.