Calgary man admits to stabbing wife in surprise guilty plea
原始发布日期： 2016-02-22 发布者：李方字变大 字变小
James Christians pleads guilty to murdering wife outside Chaparral home3-week jury trial on charge of 1st-degree murder was supposed to begin today James Christians has admitted to killing his wife, Carmel, in October 2013. He stabbed her to death outside the home where she was staying with a friend to get away from him. (Calgary Police Service/Family photo) On the first day of what was supposed to be a three-week jury trial, James Christians has instead pleaded guilty to murdering his estranged wife. He admitted to killing Carmel Christians, 55, in October 2013 outside the Chaparral home where she was staying to try and get away from him. He was facing a first-degree murder charge, but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of second-degree murder and aggravated assault for stabbing his wife's friend Delores McMartin as well. It was a worst case scenario of domestic violence. At the time of her death, there was an Emergency Protection Order (EPO) in place that prohibited Carmel's husband from making contact with her. Six weeks before she was killed, James and his wife argued over her going to a football game. It turned violent and he punched her in the face, giving her a black eye, according to an agreed statement of facts presented to the court. The next day, Carmel got the EPO and began divorce proceedings. Life behind barsThen on Oct. 16, 2013, James took a butcher knife to McMartin's home and waited outside for his wife. When she came out, he struck her with a crowbar and stabbed her 10 times, according to the agreed statement of facts. Carmel Christians and her friend were stabbed outside a home in the southeast community of Chaparrel. (Kyle Bakx/CBC) McMartin heard noises and came outside where she said James was standing over Carmel's body. She grabbed him by the collar but was stabbed in the process. Hearing screams, other neighbours came out and James took off from the scene. He was then on the run, and wanted on warrants for two days before police tracked him down at a local gas station. When James was arrested, the butcher knife was found in the front seat wrapped in a towel with Carmel's blood on it. Police also found a handwritten note, and a rope tied into a noose. He was originally charged with second-degree murder, but that was later upgraded to first-degree murder. A second-degree murder conviction comes with an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for at least 10 years. 'My heart will never truly heal'Crown and defence lawyers have proposed a joint recommendation of a 15- to 20-year parole ineligibility."This was an ambush.... There was huge element of choice," said Crown prosecutor Kyra Kondro in arguing for a 20-year parole ineligibility. Defence lawyer Bob Batting is expected to ask for a 16-year parole ineligibility. The couple's son, Cory Christians, says he feels as though he's also serving a sort of life sentence, according to his victim impact statement. "My heart will never truly heal and I will always feel an emptiness," he said. Engaged at the time, Cory was married just months after his mother died and described feelings of anger, fear, frustration and powerlessness. "I've technically lost two parents," said Cory. "My mom was my rock, someone I knew I could turn to at any time." |