R. v. Hawkins (H.J.), (2011) 298 N.S.R.(2d) 53 (CA)

• Judge: Saunders, Beveridge and Farrar, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: January 17, 2011
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: (2011), 298 N.S.R.(2d) 53 (CA);2011 NSCA 7

R. v. Hawkins (H.J.) (2011), 298 N.S.R.(2d) 53 (CA);

    945 A.P.R. 53

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2011] N.S.R.(2d) TBEd. JA.059

Herbert John Hawkins (appellant) v. Her Majesty The Queen (respondent)

(CAC 323369; 2011 NSCA 7)

Indexed As: R. v. Hawkins (H.J.)

Nova Scotia Court of Appeal

Saunders, Beveridge and Farrar, JJ.A.

January 17, 2011.

Summary:

The accused was convicted by a jury of second degree murder. In a judgment reported (2009), 286 N.S.R.(2d) 132; 909 A.P.R. 132, the trial judge sentenced the accused to life imprisonment without eligibility for parole for 20 years. The accused appealed against conviction and sentence.

The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, in a judgment reported (2011), 298 N.S.R.(2d) 22; 945 A.P.R. 22, dismissed the conviction appeal. The sentence appeal proceeded.

The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal allowed the sentence appeal and reduced the period of parole ineligibility from 20 to 15 years.

Criminal Law - Topic 5670

Punishments (sentence) - Imprisonment and parole - Parole - Period of ineligibility (incl. jury recommendation) - The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal discussed the correct principles and relevant factors that a sentencing judge must consider in exercising his or her discretion to increase the period of parole ineligibility beyond the statutory minimum of 10 years - See paragraphs 13 to 56.

Criminal Law - Topic 5670

Punishments (sentence) - Imprisonment and parole - Parole - Period of ineligibility (incl. jury recommendation) - In November 2009, the 29 year old accused robbed the victim's premises for money to buy cocaine - He was neither high on drugs nor intoxicated - The victim was mentally challenged and highly vulnerable - When the victim attempted to stop the robbery, the accused stabbed him, slashed his throat, and continued to go through the victim's belongings as the victim bled to death - To prevent further interference, the accused then strangled the victim - The accused was on probation at the time - He had one prior conviction for acts of violence (assault causing bodily harm) - No remorse or empathy was shown - This was a savage, cold-blooded murder - The accused went to a drug dealer with the blood-soaked money and even sold cigarettes found on the victim - A jury convicted the accused of second degree murder, but made no recommendation as to the period of parole eligibility - The trial judge sentenced the accused to life imprisonment without eligibility for parole for 20 years - But for the accused's prepared statement on sentencing, which showed some faint glimmer of hope for eventual rehabilitation, the court would have fixed the period of parole ineligibility at 22 years - The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and reduced the period of parole ineligibility to 15 years - The trial judge erred in principle in treating the accused's lack of remorse as an aggravating factor, in over-emphasizing deterrence and the need to prevent the accused from getting another opportunity to commit such a brutal offence for a very long time (accused sentenced to life and it was an error to believe that parole authorities would release an accused who remained dangerous), and in failing to direct himself as to the appropriate principles of sentence mandated by Parliament - The judge did not address the appropriate range of parole ineligibility for similar offenders and similar second degree murders, which was mandated by s. 718.2 of the Criminal Code - The court found that 20 years fell outside the acceptable range (12-15 years) for second degree murder by similar offenders in similar circumstances.

Criminal Law - Topic 5806.1

Sentencing - General - Sentence parity - General - [See second Criminal Law - Topic 5670 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5847

Sentencing - Considerations - Remorse of accused - The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal held that a genuine expression of remorse was a mitigating factor on sentencing, but it was an error for a trial judge to consider a lack of remorse as an aggravating factor - See paragraphs 30 to 36.

Criminal Law - Topic 5881

Sentence - Murder - [See second Criminal Law - Topic 5670 ].

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Shropshire (M.T.), [1995] 4 S.C.R. 227; 188 N.R. 284; 65 B.C.A.C. 37; 106 W.A.C. 37, refd to. [para. 5].

R. v. C.A.M., [1996] 1 S.C.R. 500; 194 N.R. 321; 73 B.C.A.C. 81; 120 W.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. McDonnell (T.E.), [1997] 1 S.C.R. 948; 210 N.R. 241; 196 A.R. 321; 141 W.A.C. 321, refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. L.M., [2008] 2 S.C.R. 163; 374 N.R. 351, refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. Valentini (D.) et al. (1999), 118 O.A.C. 1; 43 O.R.(3d) 178 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 33].

R. v. Nash (A.W.) (2009), 340 N.B.R.(2d) 320; 871 A.P.R. 320; 2009 NBCA 7, leave to appeal denied (2009), 400 N.R. 387 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 34].

R. v. Upson (D.M.) (2001), 194 N.S.R.(2d) 87; 606 A.P.R. 87; 2001 NSCA 89, refd to. [para. 35].

R. v. Assoun (G.E.) (1999), 182 N.S.R.(2d) 344; 563 A.P.R. 344 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 35].

R. v. Sinclair (1972), 6 C.C.C.(2d) 523 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 39].

R. v. Cadeddu (1980), 57 C.C.C.(2d) 264 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 39].

R. v. Camphaug (1986), 28 C.C.C.(3d) 125 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 39].

R. v. Cochrane (1994), 88 C.C.C.(3d) 570 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 39].

R. v. Mafi (K.) (2000), 133 B.C.A.C. 221; 217 W.A.C. 221; 2000 BCCA 135, refd to. [para. 47].

R. v. E.B., [2006] O.J. No. 2752 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 47].

R. v. Muise (D.R.) (No. 4) (1994), 124 N.S.R.(2d) 105; 345 A.P.R. 105 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 48].

R. v. Doyle (1991), 108 N.S.R.(2d) 1; 294 A.P.R. 1 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 50].

R. v. G.W., [1999] 3 S.C.R. 597; 247 N.R. 135; 181 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 139; 550 A.P.R. 139, refd to. [para. 56].

R. v. Lane (R.) (2008), 243 O.A.C. 156; 2008 ONCA 841, refd to. [para. 69].

R. v. Smith (D.W.) (1986), 72 N.S.R.(2d) 359; 173 A.P.R. 359 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70].

R. v. Mitchell (1987), 81 N.S.R.(2d) 57; 203 A.P.R. 57 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 71].

R. v. Johnson (W.D.) (2004), 225 N.S.R.(2d) 22; 713 A.P.R. 22 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 73].

R. v. Boudreau (P.P.) (2009), 274 N.S.R.(2d) 315; 874 A.P.R. 315 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 74].

R. v. Agate (T.P.) (2003), 330 A.R. 181; 299 W.A.C. 181 (C.A.), dist. [para. 76].

R. v. Glaremin (T.A.) (2000), 139 O.A.C. 394 (C.A.), dist. [para. 76].

R. v. Trotman (S.W.) (2007), 239 B.C.A.C. 215; 396 W.A.C. 215; 2007 BCCA 209, dist. [para. 76].

R. v. Mailloux (1989), 99 N.B.R.(2d) 356; 250 A.P.R. 356 (C.A.), dist. [para. 76].

R. v. Fairclough, 2003 CarswellOnt 9115 (C.A.), dist. [para. 76].

R. v. Martin (1982), 49 N.S.R.(2d) 361; 96 A.P.R. 361 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 77].

R. v. Moore (1979), 30 N.S.R.(2d) 476; 49 A.P.R. 476 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 78].

R. v. Tsyganov (S.) (1998), 172 N.S.R.(2d) 43; 524 A.P.R. 43 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 79].

R. v. Paterson (D.R.) (2001), 149 B.C.A.C. 56; 244 W.A.C. 56; 2001 BCCA 11, refd to. [para. 80].

R. v. Hein (J.) et al. (2004), 254 Sask.R. 298; 336 W.A.C. 298; 2004 SKCA 120, refd to. [para. 81].

R. v. Norton (H.W.) (1995), 80 O.A.C. 79 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 82].

R. v. K.T.D., [2001] O.J. No. 2899, refd to. [para. 83].

R. v. Oliver (J.J.) (2005), 194 O.A.C. 284 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 84].

R. v. Reid (W.J.) (2003), 167 O.A.C. 336; 65 O.R.(3d) 723 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 85].

R. v. Thackeray, [2004] O.J. No. 5866, refd to. [para. 86].

R. v. Kitaitchik (A.) (2002), 161 O.A.C. 169; 166 C.C.C.(3d) 14 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 87].

R. v. Hayden (J.T.) (2006), 210 O.A.C. 40 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 88].

R. v. Kreiger (K.), [2008] O.A.C. Uned. 251 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 89].

R. v. Stiers (K.) (2010), 268 O.A.C. 58 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 90].

R. v. Atkinson (S.J.) (1995), 165 A.R. 83; 89 W.A.C. 83 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 92].

R. v. Pabani (S.) (1994), 70 O.A.C. 118; 89 C.C.C.(3d) 437 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 93].

Statutes Noticed:

Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, sect. 745.4 [para. 14].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Nadin-Davis, R. Paul, and Sproule, Clarey B., Canadian Sentencing Digest (1992), vol. 1, para. 49 [para. 49].

Counsel:

Darlene MacRury and Patricia A. Fricker, for the appellant;

James A. Gumpert, Q.C., and Andre Arseneau, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on September 28, 2010, at Halifax, N.S., before Saunders, Beveridge and Farrar, JJ.A., of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.

On January 17, 2011, Beveridge, J.A., delivered the following judgment for the Court of Appeal.