A 色色啦 man who fatally stabbed his 鈥渟upportive鈥 aunt in her College Street home 鈥 and turned the knife on her mother when she tried to intervene 鈥 has been sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance at parole eligibility for 14 years.
鈥淭his was a particularly brutal killing. The attack was extreme,鈥 Superior Court Justice Rita-Jean Maxwell said Tuesday, reading her sentencing reasons in a case that included details of Shayne聽MacDonald’s mental health issues, such as a documented history of violent fantasies about family members.聽
MacDonald聽stabbed his aunt, Sarah Vermelhudo, 38, nine times and cut her throat.
鈥淪he had defensive wounds, so did not die immediately. She fought. She struggled, she suffered.鈥
Shayne MacDonald,聽29, was found guilty of second-degree murder.
Shayne MacDonald,聽29, was found guilty of second-degree murder.
He then stabbed Maria Vermelhudo, who was 59 at the time, twice as she came to her daughter鈥檚 aid after hearing her screams. She survived her injuries.
The 28-year-old sat motionless in the prisoner鈥檚 box and blinked as Maxwell imposed the parole ineligibility period. It was the only issue for her to decide after convicting him earlier this year of second-degree murder, which carries an automatic life sentence. She rejected his defence that he was not criminally responsible for the offences by reason of a mental disorder.
MacDonald will have no guarantee of parole for the rest of his life.
The victims鈥 grim-faced family members present in court looked distraught and declined to comment after the hearing ended.聽
The judge recounted some of the facts聽of听迟丑别聽horrific events that transpired on Dec. 16, 2016.
Early that evening, MacDonald went to the home on College, just west of Gladstone Avenue, to watch a movie with his aunt, who was also his godmother. Ten minutes after arriving, he grabbed a penknife from his backpack and began attacking her, and then her mother.
After inflicting the knife wounds, he fled the scene and hid outside for days before police arrested him at a bus stop at Dundas and Bathurst Streets.
Booking video of Shayne MacDonald at 色色啦 police division after being arrested for murder in December 2016.
Superior Court of Justice exhibitMacDonald had no known history of violence or previous criminal record.
But he had a challenging and unstable upbringing. His father was abusive towards his mother, who struggled with addiction issues. He was a victim of sexual assault as a child, and his brother bullied him. He also suffered from mental health issues from a young age and sought help about 18 months before the killing. His history included violent fantasies involving family, along with sexually violent and homicidal thoughts.
At trial, the Crown argued that night he was in the midst of enacting a long-held fantasy of killing and sexually assaulting his aunt.
鈥淰iolence and death were both a means to an end and part of the sexual act itself. Mr. MacDonald鈥檚 ideal sexual act was to have sex with a dead or dying person,鈥 Maxwell wrote in her judgment summarizing the prosecution鈥檚 theory.
At the time of the offences, MacDonald was 21 and lived on his own in social housing. He struggled with social anxiety and depression and spent most of his time playing video games. Family members reported that not only was his relationship with Vermelhudo amicable and free of conflict, she was particularly supportive during his difficult and unstable times.
The prosecution was seeking a 20-year parole ineligibility period. The defence asked that he be permitted to apply for parole after serving 10 years.
The judge said the higher range of parole eligibility wasn鈥檛 appropriate in these circumstances. She noted his age at the time, lack of criminal history and the fact he has shown insight into his mental health issues and need for treatment. At the earlier sentencing hearing, MacDonald expressed remorse for his actions, and stated his regret for not getting more mental health interventions and support before attacking his relatives.
However, the judge said there were a number of aggravating features in this case which drive the parole ineligibility period above the 10-year minimum, including the brutality of his actions and their devastating impact on family members.
