Max Boudreau's killer sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 17 years
CBC
A Moncton man who admitted to killing another man nearly two years ago was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison with no chance of being eligible for parole for another 15 years.
New Brunswick Court of King's Bench Justice Robert Dysart delivered his sentence for Justin Barrow in front of a courtroom packed with dozens of family and friends of Max Boudreau, whose body was found in a wooded area just outside Moncton in November 2022.
"This murder was heinous, violent and involved a high degree of brutality," Dysart said, in delivering his sentence.
"Mr. Barrow murdered Max Boudreau by striking him with his fists, cutting him repeatedly with a knife and by striking him numerous times with an axe."
Dysart's sentence is in keeping with a joint sentencing recommendation put forward by the Crown and defence counsels of life in prison with no parole eligibility for 17 years.
Barrow, however, has been in custody since November 2022, meaning he will be eligible to apply for parole in a little over 15 years.
Second-degree murder comes with an automatic sentence of life in prison, but it is up to a judge to decide on a parole ineligibility period of at least 10 years, but no more than 25 years.
"While the nature of the crime in this case was barbaric … the character of the offender would suggest something in the middle range," said Dysart, noting that Barrow had no violent criminal record.
Dysart's decision came shortly after family and friends of Boudreau delivered victim impact statements describing how their lives have been upended since his murder.
Lise Lamoureux, Boudreau's mother, said she's been living a nightmare since the death of her only son.
"I wake up every morning to the realization that this is not a bad dream. It's gut-wrenching and heartbreaking."
Rick Boudreau, his father, struggled to find words as he stood at a podium, staring down Barrow, who sat stone-face in the prisoner's box at the other end of the room.
"At 58 years old, this is all I've got left," said Boudreau, holding up a photo of his son.
"You'll get yours, one way or another," he said, speaking to Barrow.
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