Role in fatal 2018 attack earns man 4 1/2 years in prison

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This article was published 12/11/2020 (2116 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Set upon by a gang of attackers inside a Pritchard Avenue home in September 2018, Jason James suffered more than 100 injuries before he was fatally stabbed.

Gabriel Todd Mecas, one of four suspects subsequently charged with the killing, was convicted by a jury last month of assault causing bodily harm and sentenced Thursday to 4 1/2 years in prison.

Mecas, who told Winnipeg police he only “pounded on (James) a little,” knew exactly what he was doing when he participated in the ultimately fatal attack, said Queen’s Bench Justice Rick Saull.

“The accused’s part in the assault upon the victim was a senseless act of brutal violence and, quite frankly, cowardly,” Saull said. “The accused had to know, as described in his own words… that there was a strong likelihood of serious physical injury.”

Jurors found Sarah Osborne and Diamond Sky Caribou guilty of manslaughter; a fourth accused, Faron Alex Spence, was acquitted. Osborne, 33, and Caribou, 25, await sentencing.

Prosecutors argued at trial the attackers targeted James, 40, after he directed “an alleged personal slight” at Osborne.

When James arrived at the house, he was beaten and attacked with a bicycle chain before being taken screaming to the basement, where the assault continued.

Prosecutors alleged it was Osborne who stabbed James in the chest, killing him. Osborne testified at trial and denied stabbing James.

Police, responding to a tip, arrived at the house to find Osborne cleaning up the crime scene, and Caribou with blood on his hands and pants.

Mecas, 34, who was also arrested at the house, told police he was upstairs when he heard the fight break out and joined in to support his friend, Osborne.

“I got him right in the eye and pounded on him a little,” Mecas told investigators in a video interview played for jurors.

Mecas told police the other attackers took things too far, whipping James with a bike chain and burning cigarettes on his body. Mecas said he left the house before James was stabbed.

Defence lawyer Ryan Amy argued at trial Mecas was not a party to the plan to attack James and had no intention to kill him.

Mecas was given credit for time served, reducing his remaining sentence to less than 16 months.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca