By advocate staff
Two more people were sentenced to prison on Wednesday for a vicious beating death at O’Chiese First Nation last year.
Jenny Olivia Beaverbones, 27, of O’Chiese, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison in Court of Queen’s Bench in Red Deer.
Cameron Paul Strawberry, 37, of O’Chiese received a two-year prison sentence after also pleading guilty to manslaughter. O’Chiese First Nation is 53 kms northwest of Rocky Mountain House,
The pleas prevented the need for preliminary hearings and trials.
On Sept. 18, 2010, Gordon Marlice Strawberry, 45, died from blunt force injuries to his head and body after he was attacked by a group of people at a drinking party.
The assault started inside a trailer and his body was dragged outside, where the beating continued. He was left outside and found dead the next day.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Beaverbones was one of several people who took part in the attack in revenge for the stabbing death of Edgar Strawberry in 2003.
Gordon Strawberry served four years in jail after pleading guilty to manslaughter in 2004.
During the assault on Gordon Strawberry, his attackers kicked and stomped on his head and body.
He was beaten with a board.
His ribs were broken multiple times.
His face was slashed and he was stabbed in the eye.
Beaverbones hit him with a chair, punched and stomped on him. She sat on a chair on Strawberry’s neck while others beat him.
Justice G.H. Poelman called the beating an “extremely brutal and sustained assault” done to humiliate and demean Strawberry.
Poelman agreed with the four-year prison sentence recommendation for Beaverbones put forward by Crown prosecutor Robin Joudrey and defence lawyer Jack Kelly.
Beaverbones was given credit for the one year she spent in jail on the charge and she has given a lifetime weapons prohibition.
Poleman also accepted the joint-sentencing submission of two years in prison from Joudrey and defence lawyer M. Naeem Rauf for Cameron Strawberry who admitted to hitting Gordon Strawberry five times.
Cameron Strawberry tried to stop the attack once the violence escalated, but did not call police or an ambulance.
Poleman recognized Cameron Strawberry’s minimal involvement in the assault and “tentative yet noticeable” efforts to stop the brutal assault.
Cameron Strawberry was also given credit for the year he spent in custody on the charge.
In August, Darcy John Lightfoot, 30, was sentenced to seven years in prison for the killing.
Malvina Jean Beaverbones, 36, who had her hearing delayed on Tuesday, will now have her hearing on Nov. 25.
Terrence Andy Beaverbones, 21, and Evan Everest Foureyes, 21, had their hearing dates adjourned until Oct. 3 to possibly set new dates.
— copyright Red Deer Advocate