Photo courtesy of sasklawcourts.ca
A 27-year-old woman from Hatchet Lake, who was initially facing manslaughter charges, ended up being sentenced to a year of probation after being found guilty of assault.
Adrienne Leona Linklater was charged with manslaughter in the January 2015 death of 24-year-old Jonathan St. Pierre of Wollaston Lake.
The prosecutor handling the case, Ruth Fafard, says there was conflicting expert testimony as to the cause of St. Pierre’s death during the preliminary hearing, which wrapped up last month. As a result, she says a decision was made to stay the charges because the chances of a conviction were unlikely.
Prosecutors did proceed with the assault charges and asked the courts to impose a two-year sentence to be served in the community under strict conditions, however the court sentenced Linklater to one-year probation.
The Crown and RCMP met with several of the victim’s family members to explain the situation. Fafard says the family was understandably disappointed, but understood the reasons behind the decision.