Sechelt man convicted of killing his mother sentenced to life in prison
Donovan Penner won't be eligible for parole until he's served at least 10 years
A 51-year-old man who Crown lawyers say beat his mother to death with a 10-pound dumbbell in her Sechelt home has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years.
Donovan Penner was charged with second-degree murder for the death of his mother, Denise "Esma" Lachance. The 67-year-old was found lying on the floor of her home on Oct. 1, 2014.
On Monday, Justice David Crossin accepted a joint submission for the sentence from the Crown and from Penner's lawyers.
The night of the killing
During the sentencing hearing, Crown lawyers described the attack as "brutal" and told the judge that a pathologist found the cause of Lachance's death was multiple severe blunt force injuries to the head. A 10-pound dumbell and a flashlight were found at the scene of the killing, and the Crown alleged they were used in the attack.
"The brutality of this assault, the prolonged nature of this assault, the use of weapons is the best evidence in this trial that the accused intended to kill his mother," said Crown laywer Marion West.
At the time of the killing, Penner was living with his mother in Sechelt. West told the judge that Penner and Lachance had a difficult relationship. Penner's lawyers described his upbringing as "unstable" and detailed how he was raised by his mother because his father left the family at a young age.
Lachance's body was found by her husband — David Lachance — on the night of the murder. He submitted a victim-impact statement describing the impact her death and that night had on his life.
Penner was arrested on the night of the killing and was charged with second-degree murder.
Change of plea
Penner initially pleaded not guilty and a trial began earlier this month. On Feb. 19, after the trial started, Penner changed his plea to guilty, and the case proceeded to a sentencing hearing.
Penner has been in custody since his arrest in 2014, with the exception of three days in which he was granted bail, then re-arrested for breaching his conditions.
With time served, Penner won't be eligible for parole until October 2024.