R. v. Newman (M.B.), 2015 BCCA 237

• Judge: Lowry, Frankel and D. Smith, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
• Case Date: May 28, 2015
• Jurisdiction: British Columbia
• Citations: 2015 BCCA 237;(2015), 373 B.C.A.C. 58 (CA)

R. v. Newman (M.B.) (2015), 373 B.C.A.C. 58 (CA);

    641 W.A.C. 58

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2015] B.C.A.C. TBEd. JN.009

Regina (respondent) v. Michael Bruce Newman (appellant)

(CA40876; 2015 BCCA 237)

Indexed As: R. v. Newman (M.B.)

British Columbia Court of Appeal

Lowry, Frankel and D. Smith, JJ.A.

May 28, 2015.

Summary:

The victim was stabbed and shot during a prolonged struggle in his apartment. The accused was charged with first degree murder.

The British Columbia Supreme Court, in a judgment reported [2013] B.C.T.C. Uned. 592, found the accused guilty of first degree murder on the ground that he killed the victim while forcibly confining him three separate times during the struggle. The accused appealed, arguing that (1) the trial judge misapprehended the evidence in finding that the accused caused the victim's death and (2) there was insufficient evidence of confinement to support a conviction for first degree murder (as opposed to second degree murder).

The British Columbia Court of Appeal, D. Smith, J.A., dissenting, allowed the appeal, substituted a conviction for second degree murder, and remitted the matter for the sentencing judge to determine the appropriate period of parole ineligibility. The trial judge did not misapprehend evidence in identifying the accused as the killer. However, there was only one incident of forcible confinement (at the door when the struggle began) and since that confinement was coextensive with the acts causing the victim's death, the accused could only be convicted of second degree murder. D. Smith, J.A., would have affirmed the first degree murder conviction on the basis that the confinement at the door was a distinct and independent act from the final act of killing (i.e., later shot to the back of the head).

Criminal Law - Topic 1279

Offences against person and reputation - Murder - Murder during commission of other offences - Evidence and proof - See paragraphs 61 to 98.

Criminal Law - Topic 1450.1

Unlawful confinement, imprisonment or forcible seizure - General - See paragraphs 61 to 98.

Criminal Law - Topic 4866

Appeals - Indictable offences - Grounds of appeal - Misapprehension of evidence - See paragraphs 53 to 60.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. M.E-H. (2015), 368 B.C.A.C. 89; 633 W.A.C. 89; 2015 BCCA 54, refd to. [para. 56].

R. v. Clark (D.M.), [2005] 1 S.C.R. 6; 329 N.R. 10; 208 B.C.A.C. 6; 344 W.A.C. 6; 2005 SCC 2, refd to. [para. 65].

R. v. Damin (S.) (2012), 331 B.C.A.C. 101; 565 W.A.C. 101; 2012 BCCA 504, refd to. [para. 65].

Housen v. Nikolaisen et al., [2002] 2 S.C.R. 235; 286 N.R. 1; 219 Sask.R. 1; 272 W.A.C. 1; 2002 SCC 33, refd to. [para. 65].

Caswell v. Powell Duffryn Associated Collieries Ltd., [1940] A.C. 152 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 66].

R. v. Morrissey (R.J.) (1995), 80 O.A.C. 161; 97 C.C.C.(3d) 193 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 66].

R. v. Miazga (S.) et al. (2014), 359 B.C.A.C. 197; 615 W.A.C. 197; 315 C.C.C.(3d) 182; 2014 BCCA 312, leave to appeal denied [2014] 3 S.C.R. ix, refd to. [para. 82].

R. v. Farrant, [1983] 1 S.C.R. 124; 46 N.R. 337; 21 Sask.R. 271, refd to. [para. 83].

R. v. Paré, [1987] 2 S.C.R. 618; 80 N.R. 272; 11 Q.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 83].

R. v. Pritchard (D.M.), [2008] 3 S.C.R. 195; 381 N.R. 67; 261 B.C.A.C. 1; 440 W.A.C. 1; 2008 SCC 59, refd to. [para. 85].

R. v. Stevens (1984), 2 O.A.C. 239; 11 C.C.C.(3d) 518 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 87].

R. v. Kimberley (C.M.) et al. (2001), 151 O.A.C. 42; 157 C.C.C.(3d) 129 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 88].

R. v. Menard (R.K.) (2009), 281 B.C.A.C. 14; 475 W.A.C. 14; 2009 BCCA 462, refd to. [para. 88].

R. v. Chase, 2013 QCCA 271, leave to appeal denied (2013), 466 N.R. 391 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 90].

R. v. White (O.) (2014), 314 O.A.C. 229; 305 C.C.C.(3d) 449; 2014 ONCA 64, leave to appeal denied [2014] S.C.C.A. No. 500, refd to. [para. 93].

R. v. Harbottle (J.), [1993] 3 S.C.R. 306; 157 N.R. 349; 66 O.A.C. 35, refd to. [para. 102].

R. v. Niedermier (B.T.) (2005), 207 B.C.A.C. 171; 341 W.A.C. 171; 2005 BCCA 15, refd to. [para. 103].

R. v. Tremblay (1997), 117 C.C.C.(3d) 86 (Que. C.A.), refd to. [para. 103].

R. v. Gratton (1985), 7 O.A.C. 190; 18 C.C.C.(3d) 462 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 103].

R. v. Hernandez (J.) et al. (2012), 433 N.R. 77; 324 B.C.A.C. 40; 551 W.A.C. 40; 2012 SCC 40, refd to. [para. 104].

R. v. Vu - see R. v. Hernandez (J.) et al.

R. v. Oakley (1977), 4 A.R. 103 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 104].

Eberling v. State, 35-36 N.E.R. 1023 (Ind. S.C.), refd to. [para. 105].

R. v. Parris (A.) et al. (2013), 309 O.A.C. 289; 2013 ONCA 515, refd to. [para. 105].

R. v. Luxton, [1990] 2 S.C.R. 711; 112 N.R. 193; 111 A.R. 161, refd to. [para. 110].

R. v. Johnstone (G.L.) (2014), 323 O.A.C. 154; 2014 ONCA 504, refd to. [para. 111].

Counsel:

R.S. Fowler and E. Purtzki, for the appellant;

J.M. Gordon, Q.C., and J.R.W. Caldwell, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on October 8, 2014, at Vancouver, B.C., before Lowry, Frankel and D. Smith, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal.

On May 28, 2015, the judgment of the Court was delivered and the following opinions were filed:

Frankel, J.A. (Lowry, J.A., concurring) - see paragraphs 1 to 100;

D. Smith, J.A., dissenting - see paragraphs 101 to 114.