Hamilton man sentenced to 5 years in prison for accidental shooting death of 17-year-old girlfriend
CBC
A 25-year-old Hamilton man who accidentally shot his girlfriend in the head while playing with a pistol at a house party has been sentenced to five years behind bars.
Devante Skye-Davis previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter with a firearm in the death of 17-year-old Myah Larmond.
Accounting for time already served, Skye-Davis will spend 23 months in jail and serve three years of probation.
That means the man who brought the loaded gun to the party — Cadence Beauparlant — is serving a longer sentence than the man who accidentally fired it.
In late February, Beauparlant was sentenced to seven years in prison. His lawyer said she'd appeal the sentence, which was issued by a different judge.
During a June sentencing hearing, Crown attorneys told Superior Court Justice Paul Sweeny that Skye-Davis should serve six years, while the defence asked for the mandatory minimum of four years.
Victim impact statements from Larmond's family in June highlighted how her death has crushed them. Skye-Davis also spoke at the time, sobbing and apologizing for his actions, adding he truly loved Larmond.
"There's been a devastating impact on the family and friends of Myah Larmond," Sweeny said.
"There is no sentence that I can impose that will assist Myah's mother, father and family to overcome their sense of loss and grief."
Court heard Skye-Davis hosted a house party on St. Matthews Avenue near downtown Hamilton on July 15, 2020.
He, Larmond and others were all drinking, doing drugs and socializing.
People passed around the gun Beauparlant brought and played with it. Videos presented in court showed Beauparlant and Skye-Davis holding the gun, and loading it with a magazine that had a single bullet in the chamber.
Later during the night, Skye-Davis held the gun, walked into the kitchen and pointed the Glock at Larmond — then he accidentally fired a bullet into her head around 4 a.m. ET on July 16.
Beauparlant left the house and took the gun with him.
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