Second degree murder
R. v. Beckett
Sentence and the Crown's position
Both are life sentences, so the bars compare how long before parole can be considered.
What the law allows
Stephen Alexander Beckett pleaded guilty to second degree murder for stabbing his intimate partner to death in Hammonds Plains in April 2020. The Crown and defence jointly recommended life imprisonment with parole ineligibility of 11 years. Justice Brothers accepted the joint recommendation, citing his early guilty plea, sincere remorse and lack of a violent record, while treating the brutality of the attack and its domestic context as aggravating.
In the judge's words
1In all of the circumstances, the proposal for 11 years of parole ineligibility is reasonable. The acceptance of this joint recommendation would not bring the administration of justice into disrepute and is not contrary to the public interest.
The record
- Convicted of
- Second degree murder (CC 231(7))
- Prior convictions
- 7 prior convictions1
- At the time of the offence
- Not stated1
- Defence asked for
- Life, no parole for 11 years1
- Mandatory minimum
- Applied1
- Appeal
- Not yet checked
- Counsel
- Crown: Melanie A. Perry, Kim McOnie
Defence: Jonathan Hughes
Sources
- R. v. Beckett, 2023 NSSC 145 Court decision, CanLII, May 16, 2023
[2] On February 13, 2023, Mr. Beckett re-elected to proceed by judge alone and entered a plea of guilty. In a joint recommendation for sentencing, the Crown and defence propose that: 1. Mr. Beckett be sentenced to life imprisonment with the period of parole ineligibility set at 11 years;
[2] On February 13, 2023, Mr. Beckett re-elected to proceed by judge alone and entered a plea of guilty. In a joint recommendation for sentencing, the Crown and defence propose that: 1. Mr. Beckett be sentenced to life imprisonment with the period of parole ineligibility set at 11 years;
[6] The offence of second degree murder carries an automatic sentence of life imprisonment.
[1] Stephen Alexander Beckett was charged in a one-count indictment as follows:
[28] Mr. Beckett has a prior criminal history. In 2016, he was convicted of impaired driving and breach of recognizance. In 2017, he was convicted of two failures to comply with a recognizance and undertaking, a failure to stop at an accident, impaired driving and also possession of cocaine. … However, it is important to note that Mr. Beckett has no prior convictions for crimes of violence, domestic or otherwise.
[47] In all of the circumstances, the proposal for 11 years of parole ineligibility is reasonable. The acceptance of this joint recommendation would not bring the administration of justice into disrepute and is not contrary to the public interest.
[50] Mr. Beckett, please stand. For the second degree murder of … I sentence you to life imprisonment with parole ineligibility set at 11 years.
- R. v. Beckett, 2023 NSSC 145 Court decision, Courts of Nova Scotia