Manslaughter with a firearm
R. v. Skinner
Sentence and the Crown's position
What the law allows
Makayle Larry James Skinner pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the shooting death of a man outside a Halifax nightclub; he was originally charged with murder. The Crown and defence jointly recommended ten years in custody, less credit for remand. Justice Arnold accepted the joint recommendation, imposing ten years less 948 days of credit, finding it the result of a true negotiated plea and within the range for manslaughter.
In the judge's words
1The disposition of ten years in prison, less credit for time served on remand, being jointly recommended for Mr. Skinner is the result of a true negotiated plea, is within the range for similar offenders having committed similar crimes of manslaughter, and is in accordance with the range of sentence for this crime as set out by the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.
The record
- Convicted of
- Manslaughter with a firearm (CC 236(a))
- Prior convictions
- 2 prior convictions1
- At the time of the offence
- Not stated1
- Defence asked for
- 10 years in custody1
- Appeal
- Not yet checked
- Counsel
- Crown: Eric Taylor and Richard Miller
Defence: Nathan Gorham and Breana Vandebeek
Sources
- R. v. Skinner, 2026 NSSC 32 Court decision, CanLII, February 9, 2026
[1] … Crown and defence jointly recommend a period of ten years in jail, less credit for time spent on remand.
[1] … Crown and defence jointly recommend a period of ten years in jail, less credit for time spent on remand.
[1] Makayle Larry James Skinner pleaded guilty to manslaughter
[7] Mr. Skinner has a criminal record, consisting of two convictions for breaching release orders, as well as two more serious offences which post-date the predicate offence
[30] The disposition of ten years in prison, less credit for time served on remand, being jointly recommended for Mr. Skinner is the result of a true negotiated plea, is within the range for similar offenders having committed similar crimes of manslaughter, and is in accordance with the range of sentence for this crime as set out by the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.
[38] Makayle Larry James Skinner has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in relation to the shooting death of … Crown and defence jointly recommend that the appropriate sentence is ten years in custody. Crown and defence agree that credit for remand time is, if given enhanced credit of 1.5 days per day in custody, equivalent to 948 days in custody. Therefore, Mr. Skinner’s go-forward sentence from today’s date is seven years and 147 days in custody in a federal penitentiary.
- R. v. Skinner, 2026 NSSC 32 Court decision, Courts of Nova Scotia