Thunder Bay Courthouse. Staff photo
The verdict is in for 22 year old Brayden Bushby in the July 2017 death of 34 year old Barbara Kentner of Wabigoon Lake Ojibway First Nation.
Justice Helen Pierce gave her ruling Monday morning.
Pierce sentenced Bushby to 8 years in penitentiary, minus one month for time served in pre-trial custody.
Bushby must also submit DNA, comply with a weapons prohibition, and not communicate with members of the Kentner family, including Barbara’s daughter Serena.
Barbara Kentner died five months after being struck by a trailer hitch thrown by the accused from a moving car while she was walking with her sister on a residential street in Thunder Bay.
On December 14 2020, Bushby was found guilty of manslaughter.
There is no minimum sentence for the charge of manslaughter and the Crown was asking for 8-12 years behind bars.
The defense argued that Bushby shouldn’t be made as an example for future crimes and that four years behind bars would give him a chance to rehab his life and eventually return to his fiancé and daughter.
Bushby, in his first public statement back in February, stressed what happened that January night was his fault and his alone.
He expressed embarrassment, guilt and shame for his actions and understands anyone who will never accept his apology or are still angry with what transpired.
There’s no minimum sentence for the charge of Manslaughter but the maximum is life in prison.
