Open in full screen mode Charity Fleury with her baby Chase Pearl McCallum-Fleury. Radio-Canada A Manitoba Court of King's Bench judge has sentenced a man guilty of murdering a baby to life in prison, without the possibility of parole for 13 years. The 28-year-old Sandy Bay, Sask., man was found guilty of second-degree murder in July. He was arrested and charged in 2021 for the death of Chase Pearl McCallum-Fleury, his girlfriend's daughter. At the sentencing in The Pas, in the northwest of the province, on December 15, the child's mother, Charity Fleury, spoke of the unimaginable horror of the murder. It will definitely haunt me for the rest of my life, she said. I don't know how someone could be so cruel, to take my daughter's life – someone who said they were taking care of 'She. One thing, you were never his father. The obituaries with your name were burned – when this is over, I will never speak your name again. In my eyes, you are dead, Charity Fleury continued. She was at work when her daughter was discovered seriously injured on August 11, 2020. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate her. Loading ELSELL ON INFO: Front public sector common: members' meetings begin Charity Fleury had just returned to the office after her maternity leave. His parents were supposed to watch the child, but ultimately were unable to do so. The man, who lived with Ms. Fleury and the child, then offered to look after the baby. A few days before her death, she also suffered a broken arm while the man was watching her. Judge Sheldon Lanchbery found the man guilty after a trial that revolved around circumstantial evidence and the fact that no other explanation existed baby Chase's injuries were reasonable. She had suffered severe blunt force trauma to the head. At trial, no explanation or evidence was provided as to how the baby was fatally injured. What is so unusual about this case is that [the man] appeared to be in a romantic relationship with Charity and acted like someone who enjoyed taking on this role of father – a role he accepted willingly, said the judge. I would describe what happened as a heinous act, he said. < p class="StyledBodyHtmlParagraph-sc-48221190-4 hnvfyV">Charity Fleury said it's difficult for her not knowing how her daughter died. Did she suffer ? Did she wonder where her mother was ? She must have been so scared. Ms. Fleury also attacked the man for being by her side at Chase's funeral, before he was charged with her death. When the man had a chance to speak, he apologized. He is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, born to parents who were 16 years old and raised by his grandparents, who were forced to attend day schools. < p class="StyledBodyHtmlParagraph-sc-48221190-4 hnvfyV">The court heard the convict did not suffer from addiction issues, mental health, learning difficulties, a difficult childhood and that he had no criminal record. A pre-sentence report made was of a low risk of reoffending. His lawyer, Garth Bendig, said that although Although the murder is shocking, it seems contrary to his client's personality. This is an individual who took on the responsibility of a parental role without experience, who, in a very short period of time, committed a tragic act. With information from Caitlyn Gowriluk
Public Sector Common Front: Member Assemblies Begin
By Teilor Stone
Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116