R. v. Henry (T.A.), 2002 NSCA 33

• Judge: Roscoe, Chipman and Cromwell, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: March 12, 2002
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: 2002 NSCA 33;(2002), 203 N.S.R.(2d) 40 (CA)

R. v. Henry (T.A.) (2002), 203 N.S.R.(2d) 40 (CA);

 635 A.P.R. 40

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2002] N.S.R.(2d) TBEd. MR.044

Her Majesty The Queen (appellant) v. Troy Andrew Henry (respondent)

(CAC 172423; 2002 NSCA 33)

Indexed As: R. v. Henry (T.A.)

Nova Scotia Court of Appeal

Roscoe, Chipman and Cromwell, JJ.A.

March 12, 2002.

Summary:

The accused was convicted of manslaugh­ter in the accidental death of the victim. At issue was whether a conditional sentence was appropriate, or whether incarceration was re­quired.

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court, in a judgment reported 194 N.S.R.(2d) 248; 606 A.P.R. 248, imposed a conditional sentence of two years less a day, with strict house arrest and 240 hours of community service, and two years' probation. The Crown ap­pealed.

The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal allowed the appeal. The court substituted a sentence of 39 months' imprisonment, being four years less the nine months served on the conditional sentence.

Criminal Law - Topic 5720.4

Punishments (sentence) - Conditional sen­tence - When available or appropriate - The accused witnessed a man striking a woman twice outside a bar - The accused intervened, pushing the intoxicated man against a wall and admonishing him for striking a woman - The accused let the man go, but followed him up the street - The accused caught up with him and struck him once in the jaw - The man fell backwards, hitting his head - The man died - The accused fled, but was arrested two weeks later - The accused was convicted of manslaughter - The trial judge imposed a conditional sentence of two years less a day, with strict house arrest and 240 hours of community service, and two years' probation - The 30 year old accused did not intend death, or even bodily harm, and had no history of violence - This was a form of vigilante justice with tragic results - The accused had no prior criminal record - Denunciation and deterrence could ade­quately be met with a conditional sentence - The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal allowed the Crown's sentence appeal - The sentence was manifestly and excessively lenient - It overemphasized restorative objectives where denunciation and deterrence were called for - The predatory callousness of the intentional assault on a smaller, intoxicated man, with the view that it was justified, placed the offence well beyond the near accident point on the spectrum of moral blameworthiness - The court substituted a sentence of 39 months' imprisonment, being four years less the nine months served on the conditional sentence.

Criminal Law - Topic 5833

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Deterrence - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5720.4 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5848.7

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Denunciation or repudiation of conduct - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5720.4 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5882

Sentence - Manslaughter - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5720.4 ].

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Bratzer (J.T.) (2001), 198 N.S.R.(2d) 303; 621 A.P.R. 303 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. Proulx (J.K.D.), [2000] 1 S.C.R. 61; 249 N.R. 201; 142 Man.R.(2d) 161; 212 W.A.C. 161; 140 C.C.C.(3d) 449, refd to. [para. 15].

R. v. Gregor (1953), 31 M.P.R. 99 (N.S.C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. Creighton (1993), 157 N.R. 1; 65 O.A.C. 321; 83 C.C.C.(3d) 346 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 17].

R. v. Lawrence (N.A.) (1999), 172 N.S.R.(2d) 375; 524 A.P.R. 375 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 18].

R. v. Julian (1973), 6 N.S.R.(2d) 504 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. Owens, [1986] B.C.J. No. 401 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. Myette (1985), 67 N.S.R.(2d) 154; 155 A.P.R. 154 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. Dunlap (1991), 101 N.S.R.(2d) 263; 275 A.P.R. 263 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Drake, [1995] O.J. No. 4375 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Cormier (1974), 9 N.S.R.(2d) 687 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Phillips, [1992] O.J. No. 2716 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Bennett, [1993] O.J. No. 1011 (Prov. Div.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Kipling (C.N.) (1992), 83 Man.R.(2d) 6; 36 W.A.C. 6 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. McLeod (L.S.) (1994), 132 N.S.R.(2d) 118; 376 A.P.R. 118 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Whynot (B.R.) (1996), 147 N.S.R.(2d) 111; 426 A.P.R. 111 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Johnstone (1980), 38 N.S.R.(2d) 313; 69 A.P.R. 313 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Valiquette (S.) (1990), 37 Q.A.C. 8; 60 C.C.C.(3d) 325 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Hardy (1976), 29 C.C.C.(2d) 84 (Que. S.C.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Stone (B.T.), [1999] 2 S.C.R. 290; 239 N.R. 201; 123 B.C.A.C. 1; 201 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Henry (1977), 39 C.R.N.S. 45 (Que. C.A.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Desjarlais, [1980] 4 W.W.R. 676 (Alta. C.A.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Simonson (1982), 43 N.B.R.(2d) 617; 113 A.P.R. 617 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. King, [1999] N.S.J. No. 318 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Costa, [1996] O.J. No. 299 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Torres (F.) (1998), 126 Man.R.(2d) 278; 167 W.A.C. 278 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. Upson (D.M.) (2001), 194 N.S.R.(2d) 87; 606 A.P.R. 87 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 21].

R. v. Graham, [1997] N.S.J. No. 139 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 24].

R. v. Merkle (R.) (1998), 228 A.R. 110; 188 W.A.C. 110 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 24].

R. v. Hanifan (G.) (2001), 144 O.A.C. 110 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 24].

R. v. McDow (G.A.) (1996), 147 N.S.R.(2d) 343; 426 A.P.R. 343 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 29].

Statutes Noticed:

Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, sect. 718, sect. 718.1, sect. 718.2 [para. 13]; sect. 742.1 [para. 14].

Counsel:

Dana W. Giovannetti, Q.C., for the appel­lant;

Gregory S. Hildebrand, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on February 6, 2002, before Roscoe, Chipman and Cromwell, JJ.A., of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.

On March 12, 2002, Roscoe, J.A., de­livered the following judgment for the Court of Appeal.