The sentencing process is underway for the second of a group of four people charged in a Belleville murder.
Twenty-nine-year-old Rylie Brissette of Saskatoon died after being shot on September 18, 2023 on North Front Street near Ridley Street.
Robert Holgate, a Belleville man who was 47 at the time of his arrest last year, appeared in a Belleville courtroom on Friday as part of sentencing, after pleading guilty to a charge of manslaughter.
The Crown is seeking a sentence of four years in prison, minus time served. The defence claims that no further incarceration is needed, requesting a suspended sentence with time served.
In an agreed-upon statement of facts, it was stated that Holgate’s involvement in the killing of Brissette was to arrange a meeting between the victim and another accused, Douglas Rolfe. Brissette would be killed during that meeting.
During the proceedings, Justice John Bonn heard arguments from both the Crown and defence regarding the sentencing. The defence showcased several mitigating factors, claiming that Holgate’s judgment was impaired due to the influence of drugs, that he was acting under duress and afraid of Rolfe, along with Holgate not knowing the other accused had a gun or intent to use it.
The Crown presented a victim impact statement by the victim’s mother. She told the court how the loss of her son has left her feeling like a shell of who she was before.
“He was scared, confused and panicked. He wanted to come back to his family, but that decision was ripped away from him,” said Ms. Brissette. “His reality turned into the nightmare that I will never wake up from.”
A sentence was not decided upon during the hearing. Justice Bonn set a date for the sentence to be handed down on September 25.
