Prosecutors say Winnipeg father guilty of manslaughter in infant son's death should get at least 10 years
Mathieu Moreau's lawyers say the 35-year-old should be sentenced to between 3 and 5 years in prison
Prosecutors want a Winnipeg man convicted of manslaughter in his infant son's 2020 death sentenced to at least a decade in prison, court heard at the man's sentencing hearing Wednesday.
Crown attorney Jennifer Mann said that's in part because more than five years after the death of three-month-old Maven Gillis-Moreau, Mathieu Moreau still "shows considerable lack of insight" into the actions that caused it.
Moreau, now 35, was home alone watching Maven on the evening of Jan. 11, 2020, when the baby was found unresponsive. He was rushed to hospital in serious medical distress, and found to have a broken clavicle and leg and swelling and bleeding of the brain.
The infant was later pronounced brain dead and taken off life support.
Prosecutors argued during Moreau's trial last year that he "violently assaulted" his son out of frustration that night because the infant wouldn't go to sleep.
Moreau's lawyers said both parents had the opportunity to cause the injuries, because the baby's mother was watching him before Moreau got home.
While Moreau denied hurting his son that night, Court of King's Bench Justice Sadie Bond said she didn't accept the testimony he gave during the judge-alone trial, as she found him guilty of manslaughter in the baby's death.
WATCH | Winnipeg father found guilty of manslaughter in death of infant son:
Mann said Wednesday Moreau was "no doubt" saddened by the loss of his son, who died from a traumatic brain injury, but also noted the court heard no direct expression of remorse from him.
"To this day, we have no explanation for his behaviour towards Maven," Mann told Bond, asking for Moreau to be sentenced to between 10 and 12 years.
Both of Maven's parents sat in court on opposite sides of the room during Moreau's sentencing, surrounded by family members and supporters.
'You watched us suffer,' baby's mother says to father
Court heard victim impact statements from Maven's mother, Evelyn Gillis, and both her parents, who described the nightmares and health issues they still deal with as a result of their grandson's death and the stress and anguish it caused their family.
Gillis spoke through tears at times as she recalled the last time she held her son, his tiny body connected to tubes and wires in the pediatric intensive care unit.
She also told court she struggled with severe mental health issues after her son's death and excoriated Moreau for what she described as withholding information about what happened that night and manipulating her family when they were in an extremely fragile state.
"You watched us suffer, mourn, grieve, and you attended Maven's funeral planning. You even felt entitled to help us choose Maven's urn before you were eventually arrested," she said, turning to address Moreau directly where he sat in the gallery.
"Mathieu took away everything Maven could have been, and his bright future ahead. Instead of walking Maven through life, I had to walk him to the morgue."
Moreau did not speak when given the chance in court on the advice of his lawyers, who said he should be sentenced to between three and five years in prison.
They described him as an extremely busy and tired parent who was working two jobs at the time of his son's death, and noted he called 911 and tried to resuscitate his injured son that night.
"He also can grieve. He also feels terrible for what happened. He loved his child," defence lawyer Bruce Bonney said. "Although he sits here silently, he feels the pain too."
Prosecutors noted Moreau was in a position of trust over an extremely vulnerable child and has not gotten counselling for anger management issues. Court heard Moreau was assessed as being a medium risk to reoffend.
Bond is expected to deliver her sentencing decision on May 30.
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