Trucker sentenced to more than 12 years for manslaughter in woman's Edmonton hotel death
An Ontario trucker found guilty of killing a woman in his Edmonton hotel room in 2011 was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison on Tuesday.
Bradley Barton, 53, was convicted in February in the manslaughter of Cindy Gladue, a 36-year-old Metis and Cree woman who died in his room at the Yellowhead Inn in June 2011.
Court of Queen's Bench Justice Stephen Hillier ruled Barton had "an intolerable level of blameworthiness" in Gladue's death.
"“No words can capture the tragedy and sorrow, particularly for the young family left suddenly without a mother.”
Barton has 11 years and 204 days (about seven months) remaining on the sentence with credit for time served.
Justice Hillier noted Barton's "sustained deceits" in testifying, calling them "a series of lies" that were "an unyielding attempt to avoid responsibility for Ms. Gladue's death."
"His responses were simply unreliable distortions ... in attempts to rationalize his words and actions."
Barton is also subject to a mandatory DNA order, a weapons ban, and 20-year registration as a sex offender.
Justice Hillier cited Barton's failure to help a bleeding Gladue, the deliberateness of his actions as well as his lies to police and hotel staff as aggravating factors in sentencing.
At trial, the court heard that Gladue had four times the legal limit of alcohol in her system and bled to death from a severe wound in her vagina.
Barton testified he paid Gladue for sex and was shocked to find her bloody body in the bathtub the next morning.
Crown prosecutors asked that Barton be sentenced to 18 to 20 years in prison. Defence lawyer Dino Bottos argued for a sentence of between five and nine years for Barton.
Crown prosecutors argued Barton caused the fatal wound when he sexually assaulted Gladue.
Bottos argued Barton and Gladue had engaged in consensual sex acts.
"It's higher than what we thought Mr. Barton deserved," said Bottos of the sentence.
"It's a lot closer to what we were seeking than what the Crown was seeking so we're grateful for that."
After sentencing, Gladue's mother told reporters she wished Barton would've acted sooner to save her daughter.
"Maybe she would've been here today," McLeod said.
The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples called the sentence "shockingly low."
"The justice system, while arriving at the right verdict and retrial process, failed Cindy Gladue," reads a statement from the group.
"She was revictimized by the court process as was her family and community."
The sentence follows the second trial for Barton, a long-haul truck driver from Mississauga, Ont.
In 2015, a jury found him not guilty of first-degree murder. The verdict led to calls for justice for Indigenous women.
"I'd like to thank everyone across Canada all over who support us," said McLeod.
"I'm glad to see this all over."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.