Emotions erupt in court as woman gets 12-year sentence

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/11/2019 (2191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MINNEDOSA — The families of a woman convicted of manslaughter and a man who was killed in a home invasion erupted in an emotional courtroom exchange Tuesday, after the judge announced a 12-year sentence.

“That’s not enough!” the mother of the victim yelled in Minnedosa provincial court. “She should get 30 years!”

“That’s my daughter!” the mother of Kelsie LeSergent yelled in response, standing up before being held back by other family and friends.

“They have no right to say anything. My daughter is going away for something she didn’t do… Shame on you!”

“That was my son,” the victim’s mother replied before breaking down, sobbing.

LeSergent, 21, pleaded guilty earlier this year to manslaughter for her role in the death of 62-year-old Leonard Maksymic, who was shot and killed on Nov. 25, 2017.

LeSergent conspired to carry out a home invasion in Neepawa in search of narcotics, Judge Shawna Hewitt-Michta summarized, believing Maksymic, who was disabled, was in possession of morphine.

Two co-accused have yet to enter pleas in the case.

The group took a loaded firearm and drove from Killarney to Maksymic’s home, where they kicked in his door, Hewitt-Michta said.

Neighbours later found Maksymic in a pool of his own blood. He had been shot in the chest.

“Mr. Maksymic suffered a violent death alone in his home in the late evening or early-morning hours,” Hewitt-Michta said.

“We will never know for sure the precise details of what transpired in his home that night, but the evidence suggests he was utterly ambushed and got no farther than his bedroom doorway before the blast from a sawed-off shotgun killed him.”

Hewitt-Michta accepted the offence was connected to LeSergent’s drug addiction. In LeSergent’s pre-sentence report, it was noted she was using methamphetamine by the time she was 16.

However, “Ms. LeSergent’s penalty must be severe enough to deter her from ever participating in such an escapade again,” Hewitt-Michta said. “It should strike fear in the hearts and minds of others who might contemplate a home-invasion-style robbery involving a firearm, and certainly the discharge of a firearm.”

The Crown asked the court to consider a sentence of 12 to 15 years; defence counsel argued a sentence of seven to 10 years. With time served, LeSergent has roughly 10 years left on her sentence.

RCMP was called to the courthouse following the confrontation between the families, and most of LeSergent’s supporters — including her mother — left the courthouse shortly after.

Outside the courtroom, the victim’s brother, Ron Maksymic, shook his head.

“(LeSergent’s) mother is sitting there crying because she’s been put away for 10 years. Well, you know what? She still gets to visit her, gets to talk to her, she still gets to see her when she gets out of jail. We’ll never get my brother back,” he said.

“They say I’m supposed to have closure. Closure’s a myth… I can’t go home and see my brother.”

LeSergent’s two co-accused — who are facing charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and accessory after the fact to murder — are scheduled for a preliminary hearing in February.

— Brandon Sun