'You almost killed my son': Boy sentenced in school stabbing south of Edmonton

The teenage boy who pleaded guilty in the stabbing of a fellow student south of Edmonton earlier this year was sentenced on Wednesday.

The two, both 16 years old at the time, were fighting at Pigeon Lake Regional School in April 2022 when the accused stabbed the victim.

Court heard the teenagers bumped into each other when one put the other in a headlock and the accused panicked, reached for a knife he had brought to school that day, and stabbed the boy twice.

The accused pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, instead of the initial charge of attempted murder, last June.

The victim was in a coma for two days, the Crown said. He received 100 staples and skin grafting, and sustained nerve damage, the boy's mother said in court on Wednesday.

"He was in pain for months because of you," she said.

"You almost killed my son."

During her victim impact statement, the mother said she's currently in counselling and not working anymore.

"You’ve not only ruined my son’s life, but my life as well."

Despite that, she didn't want the teenager to go to jail.

"I want you to have a good life and not become a bad person," the mother said.

The Crown asked for 24 months of probation; the defence sought 18 months.

The accused has been undergoing treatment and counselling, the defence said.

He apologized for the attack during sentencing.

"I just want to say sorry for doing it and I really do feel bad, and I also want to apologize to anyone else I might have hurt mentally."

The justice took the guilty plea and remorse into account, and handed down a 20-month probation sentence.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk