A woman issued a tearful apology prior to being sentenced Tuesday for fatally stabbing a man during a confrontation fueled by drugs and alcohol.
Originally charged with second-degree murder, Annie Jean Anatole, 35, had pleaded guilty to the lesser included count of manslaughter in the death of Ryan Pierre on the Tachie reserve north of Fort St. James during the early morning of July 17, 2016.
"I truly am remorseful for the death of Ryan," Anatole said as she read a prepared statement during a hearing at the Prince George courthouse. About 20 people, most of them friends and family of the victim, were in the gallery.
"I never could have dreamed of anything like this happening to him or to anybody. It hurts my heart to feel that I not only did I lose someone that I dearly loved but so did his family. I'm very sorry from the bottom of my heart."
For seven years, Anatole and Pierre had been in an on-again, off-again relationship and were the parents of two young children.
In the hours leading up to Pierre's death, the two had been partying with friends, consuming alcohol and cocaine. With rising frequency, arguments between the two broke out as the day went on.
Matters came to a head outside a friend's home when, at about 2 a.m., the Pierre grabbed Anatole by the arm.
A friend intervened and separated the two, but as Anatole was getting into a van she owned, Pierre picked up a rock and threw it, breaking the passenger window.
Anatole got back out of the van and ran towards Pierre with her arm raised and, according to witnesses, struck or punched him once in the chest.
As Anatole and a friend got back into the van and drove away, Pierre was heard saying she had just stabbed him in the heart.
No weapon was ever found but an autopsy showed Pierre, indeed, was struck in the heart and had likely died within minutes if not seconds, the court was told.
Anatole and her friend, meanwhile, had called the RCMP three times to say she had just been assaulted and was fearful Pierre would follow her to her home. But when the RCMP showed up, it was to arrest her for the death of Pierre.
Alcohol on Anatole's breath was noticed and she had poor balance when walking. RCMP attempted to get sworn statements from her, but the for the most part, Anatole remained silent. She appeared in shock and, from time to time, asked where Pierre was and whether he was OK.
Several victim impact statements from Pierre's immediate family were read into the record.
In one, his mother's desperate attempt to save her son's life was recalled.
Wanda Pierre said she held her son head as the two sat in the back of a car racing to hospital in Fort St. James.
"My husband said 'give him mouth to mouth,' so I did on the way to town," the court heard. "But the air didn't sound right when it came out. But my husband (said) 'keep giving him air,' and I did, but it didn't seem to help."
Just a few days before his death, he had dropped by her house and gave her a $100 bill so she had enough money to play bingo when she went to Prince George.
"I said 'thank you' and hugged him and I said 'don't forget, I love you always and forever,'" she said.
In other victim impact statements, Pierre was described as caring and loving and someone who loved to laugh.
In the end, Anatole was sentenced to four years in jail, less credit for time served prior to sentencing, followed by three years probation.
Because Anatole had been in custody since her arrest, she had enough credit to serve only 50 more days behind bars.
Crown counsel had originally argued for four to seven years less credit for time served while defence counsel was seeking time served and three years probation.
When B.C. Supreme Court Justice Nigel Kent said he would be deciding on a sentence at the bottom end of Crown's range, Crown and defence agreed to a joint submission that would see the probationary term added to her time remaining in custody.
Conditions of her probation include that she go no closer than 25 kilometres of Tachie and that she have no contact with Pierre's immediate family with the exception of his mother, who she can reach only through a third party to arrange access to her children.
Many in the gallery dabbed their eyes as Kent delivered the decision.
