No jail time for ‘ashamed,’ man with mental disability in 2022 slaying

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This article was published 09/01/2025 (283 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 26-year-old man has been spared jail in the slaying of a Winnipeg father of two after Crown and defence lawyers agreed he played no role inflicting the victim’s fatal injuries.

Miles Nicholas Batenchuk was one of four men arrested following the Oct. 24, 2022, stabbing death of 35-year-old Lionel Sherwin Colombe.

Colombe was found dead underneath a cargo truck parked on Clyde Road in Elmwood near the home of his former girlfriend.

Batenchuk was originally charged with manslaughter in the killing, but pleaded guilty to simple assault and was sentenced Wednesday to two years supervised probation.

“I’m ashamed for the crime that took the life of an innocent person (and) not doing the right thing, not calling for help,” Batenchuk said in a note read out in court by his lawyer, Danny Gunn.

Co-accused Desmond Houle, 27, was convicted last year of second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 12 years. Co-accused Nathan Michael Bruce, 24, is set to stand trial for second-degree murder in February.

A now-18-year-old male co-accused has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will be sentenced Jan. 20.

Court heard Batenchuk had been visiting Winnipeg from Berens River and was drinking with Houle, the youth accused and a female cousin, Colombe’s former girlfriend, at Houle’s Broadway apartment when Houle received a message from Bruce, who had been sleeping at Batenchuk’s cousin’s home. Colombe had arrived at the house and was banging on the door demanding to be let inside, Bruce said.

The group returned to the woman’s house around 4 a.m. and found Colombe in the backyard. The woman stayed in the house while the four accused chased Colombe out of the yard. Bruce, prosecutor Carrie Ritchot alleged, caught up to Colombe next to a parked car and bodychecked him to the ground, at which point Batenchuk delivered a single punch to Colombe’s shoulder before running to the opposite side of the street. It was then that Houle pulled out a knife and stabbed Colombe 10 times, killing him. Houle and the youth then moved Colombe’s body, placing it underneath a nearby cargo truck.

Court heard Batenchuk lives with a mental disability and did not know his three co-accused prior to the night of the killing.

Gunn said Batenchuk was afraid to help Colombe, fearing the three co-accused might turn on him.

“What haunts him is that he didn’t do the right thing — he should have called for help,” Gunn said.

Batenchuk had no idea Houle was going to stab Colombe, Gunn said.

“His intention there was to get (Colombe) to lay off bugging (his cousin), but the… nature of events took a drastic turn,” he said.

Family members described Colombe as a dedicated father who showered his two young daughters with love and always went out of his way to support their mother, even during periods where they were no longer together.

“The love Lionel had for his two beautiful girls was unconditional, genuine and pure,” said his sister Makaela Colombe. Lionel “was a peaceful individual who had no intention of causing physical harm to anyone.

“He was outnumbered four to one and did not stand a chance,” she said. “I cannot comprehend the reason behind this senseless act. He didn’t deserve any of it.”

Batenchuk served 38 days in jail before he was granted bail and spent 25 months under strict house arrest conditions prior to sentencing, court was told.

King’s Bench Justice Jeffrey Harris said he accepted “without reservation” that Batenchuk was ashamed of his actions.

“I think you found yourself in circumstances you truly regret and I’m convinced that you will lead a good life with the memory of Mr. Colombe always in the back of your mind,” Harris said.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca