R. v. Denny (A.N.), 2016 NSSC 76

JudgeRosinski, J.
CourtSupreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
Case DateFebruary 22, 2016
JurisdictionNova Scotia
Citations2016 NSSC 76;(2016), 371 N.S.R.(2d) 236 (SC)

R. v. Denny (A.N.) (2016), 371 N.S.R.(2d) 236 (SC);

    1169 A.P.R. 236

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2016] N.S.R.(2d) TBEd. MR.041

Her Majesty the Queen v. Andre Noel Denny

(CRH No. 417612; 2016 NSSC 76)

Indexed As: R. v. Denny (A.N.)

Nova Scotia Supreme Court

Rosinski, J.

March 24, 2016.

Summary:

In April 2012, the 32 year old aboriginal accused was detained in a forensic hospital after being found not criminally responsible for an assault causing bodily harm. While absent from the hospital without leave, the accused consumed cocaine and alcohol. While in a psychotic state, the accused viciously beat a random victim by punching him, knocking him down, then kicking him in the head and smashing his face into the pavement nine or 10 times. The victim died primarily from blunt force trauma, but the victim's cocaine/alcohol intoxication and an underlying heart condition were contributing factors. The accused was diagnosed with schizophrenia and a personality disorder with anti-social traits, and had polysubstance abuse issues. The accused pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court sentenced the accused to eight years' imprisonment, less 2157 days' credit on a 1.5 to 1.0 basis for pre-trial detention in the forensic hospital. The go forward sentence was accordingly 703 days.

Criminal Law - Topic 5817.1

Sentencing - Sentencing procedure and rights of the accused - Evidence - Agreed statement of facts - The accused pleaded guilty to manslaughter - The Crown and accused presented an agreed statement of facts - The Nova Scotia Supreme Court stated that "By law, I must accept the agreed-to-facts set out in an ASF. As a consequence, it is so important that the written description of facts in an ASF must be: clear, unambiguous, precise and unequivocal." - See paragraph 18.

Criminal Law - Topic 5830.4

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Guilty plea - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5882 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5834.7

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Mental illness or disorder - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5882 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5834.10

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Mental state (incl. effects of alcohol or drugs) - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5882 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5846.1

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Aboriginal offenders - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5882 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5846.1

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Aboriginal offenders - The Nova Scotia Supreme Court agreed with the following statement respecting the preparation of a Gladue report for aboriginal offenders: "Their purpose is to provide the court with individualized information about how intergenerational and systemic effects of colonialism, displacement, residential schools, poverty, unemployment and substance abuse have affected the aboriginal offender. They should also include information about realistic restorative or rehabilitative programs suitable to the particular aboriginal offender. ... Finally, as a form of presentence report, Gladue reports should be subject to the same general requirements of balance and objectivity as conventional presentence reports. Thus, the writer should attempt to remain detached rather than advancing personal opinions." - See paragraph 69.

Criminal Law - Topic 5848.2

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Time already served - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5882 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5882

Sentence - Manslaughter - In April 2012, the 32 year old aboriginal accused was detained in a forensic hospital after being found not criminally responsible for an assault causing bodily harm - While absent from the hospital without leave, the accused consumed cocaine and alcohol - While in a fit of anger and an undetermined level of psychosis, the accused viciously beat a random victim by punching him, knocking him down, then kicking him in the head and smashing his face into the pavement nine or 10 times - The victim died primarily from blunt force trauma, but the victim's cocaine/alcohol intoxication and an underlying heart condition were contributing factors - The accused was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 18 and suffered from a personality disorder with anti-social traits - He also had polysubstance abuse issues - The accused, charged with second degree murder, pleaded guilty to manslaughter - He had a dated history of unrelated offences - The Nova Scotia Supreme Court held that the most significant factor leading to the accused's violent actions were his generalized and situational rage rather than intoxication or the symptoms of his mental illness - The mitigating Gladue factors were offset by the level of violence - Since his mental illness played only a minor contributory role in the attack, its mitigating effect was lessened, particularly where the accused was absent without leave from the hospital and was aware that alcohol and drugs exacerbated his symptoms, including his propensity for violence - The victim's intoxication and underlying heart condition contributed to his death, but were not considered mitigating - The accused's self-induced intoxication was not a mitigating factor, except indirectly where taken into consideration in the Gladue report - The risk of future violence was significant - The court sentenced the accused to eight years' imprisonment, less 2157 days' credit on a 1.5 to 1.0 basis for pre-trial detention in the forensic hospital - The go-forward sentence was 703 days - But for the mitigating effects of the guilty plea, the Gladue factors, and his mental illness, the court would have sentenced the accused to 9-10 years' imprisonment.

Cases Noticed:

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R. v. Whitehead (J.W.) (2014), 352 N.S.R.(2d) 43; 1112 A.P.R. 43; 2014 NSSC 439, refd to. [para. 42, footnote 14].

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R. v. R.J.F. - see R. v. Friesen (R.J.).

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R. v. C.R.H. (2012), 324 N.S.R.(2d) 62; 1029 A.P.R. 62; 2012 NSSC 233, refd to. [para. 242, footnote 40].

Counsel:

Mark Heerema and James Giacomantonio, for the Crown;

David Mahoney and Constance MacIsaac, for the accused.

This matter was heard on January 25 and February 22, 2016, at Halifax, N.S., before Rosinski, J., of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, who delivered the following judgment on March 24, 2016.

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12 practice notes
  • Table of cases
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books Sentencing in Canada
    • June 26, 2020
    ...R v Dennison (1990), 60 CCC (3d) 342 (NB CA) ....................................................................147 R v Denny, 2016 NSSC 76 .................................................................................................160, 161, 167 R v Deyoung, 2016 NSPC 67 ...................
  • Hearing the Victim at Sentencing
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books Sentencing in Canada
    • June 26, 2020
    ...recognized that VIS evidence can be considered an aggravating factor at sentencing. Courts have either used its content 22 See R v Denny , 2016 NSSC 76 [ Denny ]. 23 See R v Vienneau , 2015 ONCA 898 [ Vienneau ]; ibid. 24 R v WM , 2010 BCCA 370 at para 16. 25 R v Deer , 2014 ABCA 88 [ Deer ......
  • TEN YEARS LATER AND LIMITED EVIDENCE OF PROGRESS: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF R VIPEELEE ON THE SENTENCING OF INDIGENOUS OFFENDERS CONVICTED OF MANSLAUGHTER.
    • Canada
    • University of Toronto Faculty of Law Review Vol. 81 No. 2, March 2023
    • March 22, 2023
    ...2017 NWTSC 6. R v Sayine, 2014 NWTSC 85. R v Elanik, 2018 NWTSC 74. R v Ugyuk, 2020 NWTSC 34. R v Buggins, 2014 NWTSC 24. R v Denny, 2016 NSSC 76. R v Korgak, 2013 NUCA R v Takatak, 2021 NUCJ 2. R v Peter, 2014 NUCJ 28. R v Geetah, 2015 NUCJ 10. R v Sateana, 2016 NUCJ 20. R v Padluq, 2016 N......
  • R. v. Gillis, 2018 NSSC 22
    • Canada
    • Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
    • January 31, 2018
    ...R. v. White, 2013 NSSC 323 (12 years jail – although that was a joint recommendation, which reduces its precedential value); R. v. Denny, 2016 NSSC 76 (8 years jail); and R. v. Downey, 2017 NSSC 302 (4 years jail).[45] As I stated in Downey:18 I am keeping in mind the principles of sentenci......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
9 cases
  • R. v. Gillis, 2018 NSSC 22
    • Canada
    • Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
    • January 31, 2018
    ...R. v. White, 2013 NSSC 323 (12 years jail – although that was a joint recommendation, which reduces its precedential value); R. v. Denny, 2016 NSSC 76 (8 years jail); and R. v. Downey, 2017 NSSC 302 (4 years jail).[45] As I stated in Downey:18 I am keeping in mind the principles of sentenci......
  • R. v. Boutilier, 2017 NSSC 308
    • Canada
    • Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
    • November 29, 2017
    ...remaining body of his report, I regard these portions as having less weight.Gladue and Ipeelee Sentencing Principles[24] In R. v. Denny, 2016 NSSC 76, Justice Rosinski had cause to consider Gladue and Ipeelee and his comments at paras. 62-70 are helpful in providing relevant background in t......
  • R. v. Mootoo,
    • Canada
    • Superior Court of Justice of Ontario (Canada)
    • January 18, 2022
    ...harm to individual victims. It should focus on how the offence in question affected a particular, identifiable community: R. v. Denny, 2016 NSSC 76, 371 N.S.R. (2d) 236, at para. 122. The report from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection does not do [72]      ......
  • R v Moss,
    • Canada
    • Court of King's Bench of Alberta (Canada)
    • April 28, 2023
    ...the death of another person, ranging from circumstances of “near accident” to “near murder”: R v Denny, 2016 NSSC 76 at para 2) Analysis and Conclusion on Second-Degree Murder or Manslaughter 165 Defence counsel argues that absent the NCR defence, Mr Moss's ......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
3 books & journal articles
  • Table of cases
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books Sentencing in Canada
    • June 26, 2020
    ...R v Dennison (1990), 60 CCC (3d) 342 (NB CA) ....................................................................147 R v Denny, 2016 NSSC 76 .................................................................................................160, 161, 167 R v Deyoung, 2016 NSPC 67 ...................
  • Hearing the Victim at Sentencing
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books Sentencing in Canada
    • June 26, 2020
    ...recognized that VIS evidence can be considered an aggravating factor at sentencing. Courts have either used its content 22 See R v Denny , 2016 NSSC 76 [ Denny ]. 23 See R v Vienneau , 2015 ONCA 898 [ Vienneau ]; ibid. 24 R v WM , 2010 BCCA 370 at para 16. 25 R v Deer , 2014 ABCA 88 [ Deer ......
  • TEN YEARS LATER AND LIMITED EVIDENCE OF PROGRESS: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF R VIPEELEE ON THE SENTENCING OF INDIGENOUS OFFENDERS CONVICTED OF MANSLAUGHTER.
    • Canada
    • University of Toronto Faculty of Law Review Vol. 81 No. 2, March 2023
    • March 22, 2023
    ...2017 NWTSC 6. R v Sayine, 2014 NWTSC 85. R v Elanik, 2018 NWTSC 74. R v Ugyuk, 2020 NWTSC 34. R v Buggins, 2014 NWTSC 24. R v Denny, 2016 NSSC 76. R v Korgak, 2013 NUCA R v Takatak, 2021 NUCJ 2. R v Peter, 2014 NUCJ 28. R v Geetah, 2015 NUCJ 10. R v Sateana, 2016 NUCJ 20. R v Padluq, 2016 N......

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