Man accused in daughter’s poisoning death pleaded guilty to assaulting baby’s mom

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This article was published 21/03/2024 (596 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The man charged this week in the drug poisoning death of his daughter more than two years ago pleaded guilty last fall to twice assaulting his co-accused — the infant’s mother.

On Wednesday, the Winnipeg Police Service announced Christopher Mattern, 39, and Alison Kimberly Muise, 40, had been charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life in three-month-old Layla Mattern Muise’s fentanyl and methamphetamine poisoning death in February 2022.

Mattern pleaded guilty in provincial court to two counts of assault against Muise last October, as well as breaching court orders meant to prevent him from contacting her.

Court heard Mattern and Muise had been together for several days at Muise’s home, a rental in the Westdale neighbourhood, despite a court order barring Mattern from contacting her. As they were having a conversation on March 16, Mattern got angry and punched Muise in the head about five times, Crown prosecutor Jay Funke told court. She got him out of the house and called police, who got a warrant for his arrest.

He wasn’t arrested until June 25, when Muise came home to find Mattern inside at about 3:30 a.m. Funke told court Muise had allowed Mattern into her home earlier, despite court orders, but had expected him to leave before she returned.

Mattern accused Muise of being with another person romantically. She told him to leave, but he grabbed her by the shirt and punched her in the mouth, the prosecutor told court. He then grabbed her right arm and twisted it behind her back, telling her he would break it, but she managed to break free. As he went to the home’s back door, he threatened to kill her, court heard.

She again called police, who arrested him. He was later let out on a release order, but was arrested again for breaching court orders on Sept. 16. He was held until his Oct. 10 hearing in front of provincial court Judge Michelle Bright.

Defence lawyer Matthew Munce told court Mattern was born in Winnipeg and had been adopted at birth. He completed Grade 9 and worked steadily as a drywaller, roofer and in general construction. He had two sons, at the time 9 and 13, Munce said, and a limited criminal record. Three-month-old Layla, who had died 20 months earlier, was not mentioned in court.

Munce told court Mattern had been dealing with an addiction to crystal methamphetamine, but had been clean about three weeks prior to his September arrest.

Bright sentenced him to an additional 16 days in jail, on top of time served, and a year of supervised probation, which included conditions he attend counselling and treatment.

Muise has no criminal record. Family court documents indicate she has gotten into custody disputes about an older child, born in 2017, with the boy’s father and her parents.

According to a transcript of testimony that child’s father gave to family court in 2020, he had concerns she was addicted to crack cocaine and had been homeless. Muise disputed she had been using drugs, telling the court at the time she hadn’t used for a long time.

The two parents were ultimately given joint custody, but the boy’s father was designated the primary caregiver.

WPS officers and fire paramedic crews rushed to Muise’s home on Westgrove Way on Feb. 2, 2022, after reports of an unresponsive baby girl. The child was taken to hospital and pronounced dead days later.

Child-abuse investigators then began a “lengthy and very exhaustive” probe into the infant’s death. Autopsy and toxicology reports later determined Layla’s death resulted from exposure to fentanyl and methamphetamine.

A police spokesman said Wednesday that detectives determined multiple people may have been consuming illicit drugs in the presence of the baby at Muise’s home.

“The parents’ role — any parent’s role — is to protect the child at all times, at all costs,” Const. Jason Michalyshen said Wednesday.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca