Fort St. John, B.C. man sentenced to life imprisonment for 2nd-degree murder of Amanda Black

WARNING: This story contains graphic detail of intimate partner violence.

A Fort St. John man was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 10 years after pleading guilty in the killing of his partner in February 2021.

Shane Sutherland admitted to the second-degree murder of Amanda Black on Feb. 8, 2021, according to an agreed statement of facts read out in court. The 29-year-old pleaded guilty to the charge earlier this week. 

Black was days from her 23rd birthday when she was killed. She is remembered by friends and family as courageous, and a dedicated mother to her son who was 18 months old at the time of her death.

The court heard victim impact statements from Black's mother, sister, and a close friend. Additional written statements were provided by Black's father, other sister, and friends. 

"The world is a darker place without her," Jessica Savard, Black's sister told the court. 

"There is no coming back from this."

Savard broke down talking about Black's son growing up without a mother.

In the judge's decision, she states the victim impact statements painted "a stark picture of the terrible toll" of Sutherland's actions.

Addressing Sutherland, Savard said the "brutal" killing robbed her of the opportunity to spend more time with her sister and nephew, and that the murder would leave a scar in the boy's heart.

"The chance to witness the love and warmth she would have shared with her child was tragically extinguished by the heinous act," she said, sobbing.

The boy is Sutherland's biological son. 

Sutherland and Black had been living together in Fort St. John in northeastern B.C., about 295 kilometres northeast of Prince George, in what Crown prosecutors described as a "spousal relationship."

'Aggravating factor' in the sentencing

The court heard a lengthy joint statement of facts leading up to the sentencing, including details of Black's murder. 

On Feb. 8, 2021, Black went to Walmart with a friend, and returned to the home she shared with Sutherland around 7:10 p.m. 

Sutherland, who was 27 at the time, helped Black bring in groceries while the friend waited in the car for Black to return.

At 7:26 p.m., the friend called Black from the car parked outside.

The court heard that Black told her she would be right out, but minutes later, Sutherland called his mother and told her he had killed Black.

Sutherland's mother called 911 and RCMP officers arrived at 7:39 p.m. They discovered that Sutherland had killed Black using a spike axe and a knife.

Black's infant son was upstairs in a crib at the time of the murder, which the judge called an "aggravating factor" in the sentencing, saying she believes the child will "no doubt experience lifelong trauma as a result of this crime." 

The joint submission from Crown and defence counsels delivered to the court states Sutherland and Black's relationship was in the process of breaking down at the time of the murder, after three years together and cohabiting for part of that.

'Persistent and ferocious' acts

The court also heard about Sutherland's childhood.

A psychiatrist told the court Sutherland said in an evaluation that he experienced social isolation, sexual abuse, and displayed mental health issues and "behavioural problems" starting at a young age.

Sutherland apologized in court to Black, her family, his family, and the community more broadly. 

Sutherland's lawyer has asked the judge to recommend Sutherland be kept out of a maximum security prison, but the judge declined.

The judge referred to Sutherland's violent acts that evening as "persistent and ferocious," compounded by the violence occurring in Black's home, a place in which, the judge said, Black was entitled to feel safe.

The minimum sentence for a second-degree murder charge is life in prison with no parole for at least 10 years.

In the days after Black's death, the City of Fort St. John lit up public spaces with purple lights to commemorate her.

Purple is a colour often used to commemorate people lost to domestic violence, and it was also Black's favourite colour.

Black's death sent shock waves through the small community of around 20,000.

Days after she died, friends and family marked what would have been her 23rd birthday by launching lanterns from a rocky beach on Gabriola Island and from a baseball diamond in Fort St. John.

Support is available for anyone affected by intimate partner violence. You can access support services and local resources in Canada by visiting this website. If your situation is urgent, please contact emergency services in your area.