Manslaughter
R. v. Knockwood
Sentence and the Crown's position
What the law allows
Nathan Knockwood pleaded guilty to manslaughter for stabbing a man with a bayonet in Truro in November 2021, after disarming him during a fight the other man started. Crown and defence jointly recommended a range of 7 to 12 years. Justice Campbell imposed 8.5 years, less 1,504 days of remand credit, finding the manslaughter neither near accident nor near murder and giving serious weight to Gladue factors; he declined additional credit for harsh remand conditions.
In the judge's words
1Mr. Knockwood’s personal circumstances are tragic. His experiences as a child and as a young man did not directly bring him to the point that he faces sentencing for manslaughter. They certainly contributed to it. Gladue factors have less impact in the sentencing of serious violent offences but the report in this case speaks so compellingly about those factors that they must be given serious consideration.
The record
- Convicted of
- Manslaughter (CC 236)
- Prior convictions
- Not recorded
- At the time of the offence
- Not stated1
- Defence asked for
- 7 years in custody1
- Appeal
- Not yet checked
- Counsel
- Crown: Thomas Kayter and Alex Keaveny
Defence: Nicholaus Fitch and Scott Brownell
Sources
- R. v. Knockwood, 2024 NSSC 244 Court decision, CanLII, August 20, 2024
[1] … Crown counsel and defence counsel have agreed by way of joint recommendation that the appropriate range of sentencing, having regard to Mr. Knockwood’s circumstances and the nature of the offence is between 7 and 12 years of incarceration.
[1] … Crown counsel and defence counsel have agreed by way of joint recommendation that the appropriate range of sentencing, having regard to Mr. Knockwood’s circumstances and the nature of the offence is between 7 and 12 years of incarceration.
[1] Nathan Knockwood pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the stabbing death of …
[42] … Mr. Knockwood’s personal circumstances are tragic. His experiences as a child and as a young man did not directly bring him to the point that he faces sentencing for manslaughter. They certainly contributed to it. Gladue factors have less impact in the sentencing of serious violent offences but the report in this case speaks so compellingly about those factors that they must be given serious consideration.
[51] Mr. Knockwood’s sentence is 8.5 years or 3,102 days, less remand credit of 1,504 days for a total of 1,598 days. The go forward sentence is 4 years and 138 days.
- Criminal Code, s. 236 Record, Justice Laws Website
- R. v. Knockwood, 2024 NSSC 244 Court decision, Courts of Nova Scotia