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O’Chiese woman sentenced for stabbing death

Kieron Beaverbones died from single stab wound to heart in 2014
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An O’Chiese First Nation woman was sentenced to just over five years in prison for stabbing her cousin to death in 2014.

Sherilyn Kyrene Beaverbones, 22, was sentenced to four years and six months for manslaughter and nine months for assault causing bodily harm in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench on Thursday. She pleaded guilty to those charges in January.

Beaverbones killed Kieron Dale Beaverbones, 20, with a single stab wound to the heart early on April 7, 2014 during an alcohol-fueled confrontation on the reserve northwest of Rocky Mountain House.

Sherilyn Beaverbones, then-18, had been drinking heavily when she and others got into an argument over a flattened car tire. At one point, Beaverbones went into the house and grabbed a 17-centimetre curved kitchen knife.

She slashed the tire of a vehicle belonging to the man she thought had flattened her tire and then slashed him across the arm and forearm.

When the heavily intoxicated Beaverbones was told to stop what she was doing, she said she didn’t care and “would kill somebody tonight.”

Kieron Beaverbones came out of the nearby house to confront her and an argument ensued.

Sherilyn stabbed her cousin once and he dropped to the ground. She immediately started crying and dropped the knife.

RCMP and EMS were called but Kieron could not be saved.

Crown prosecutor Katie Clarey asked for a sentence of eight years and three months.

Defence lawyer Richard Mirasty said a sentence from 36 to 45 months was appropriate.

The court heard that Beaverbones had grown up amid much physical abuse and had been through detox. She began drinking at 13 and later got into drugs.

She spent most of her life suffering from depression, had a history of cutting herself and tried to commit suicide when she was 15.

In a victim impact statement, Kieron Beaverbones’ mother spoke of the pain she has endured since his death. She spends some days crying and talking to her lost son.

“There is no (prison) time in the world that can be given to make up the damage that has been done,” she wrote.

Justice John Hopkins said it was “truly a sad situation.

“No amount of jail time will alleviate the pain the family has gone through and will go through in the future,” said Hopkins.

Beaverbones was given credit for about 1 1/2 years of prison time for the five months she spent in pre-trial custody and her three years of house arrest.

pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com