Daughter describes 'shattered' life after mother murdered by Calvin Lewis

Samantha Sanford told a Moncton court Tuesday of the "shattered" life she's lived since Calvin Lewis murdered her mother three years ago. 

Sanford broke down as she read a victim impact statement at the start of Lewis's sentencing hearing.

Lewis was found guilty earlier this year of killing Tina Tingley-McAleer in May 2020 in the southeastern New Brunswick community of Hillsborough.

"Someday he'll move on from this," Sanford said of Lewis. "My mother, myself and my family never will."

Lewis had admitted stabbing Tingley-McAleer 32 times but argued in the trial that began in April 2022 that he was provoked by the victim. The two had been dating and living together in Hillsborough, south of Moncton.

Court of King's Bench Justice Robert Dysart rejected that defence in a decision in February.

On Tuesday, Dysart was left only to decide when Lewis would become eligible for parole as second-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence. Even if a prisoner becomes eligible for parole, they may not get it.

Crown prosecutor Malika Levesque is seeking parole eligibility to begin around 20 years. The defence is seeking 10 years.

After lawyers offered arguments for their positions, Dysart said he would need more time. He's scheduled to give his decision on July 5.

Sanford's victim impact statement was one of five Dysart received as part of the sentencing hearing and the only one read out loud.

Her final moments of life were tragic, and I'm sure she suffered in fear in her last moments.- Samantha Sanford

As she spoke, Lewis sat in the prisoner's box, at first looking at the floor and later completely hunched over.

Sanford described various consequences in her life as a result of her mother's death, including being unable to hold a full-time job and needing medication. She said she constantly fears that once released, Lewis will come after her, her children, or her family.

She said she's tried to attend each court appearance to understand what happened to her mother on May 2, 2020. 

Sanford said her medical training means she knows her mother could not have been helped because of the amount and depth of the stab wounds. 

"Her final moments of life were tragic, and I'm sure she suffered in fear in her last moments," Sanford said.

Sanford described how the landlord had hired a cleaning company to deal with the crime scene, but later she had to move her mother's belongings and found blood and signs of her mother's last moments.

Witnesses, including Sanford, testified during the trial that Tingley-McAleer and Lewis had a relationship marked by violence and his threats to kill her. In the months before Tingley-McAleer's death, Lewis served time in jail for threatening her.

Lewis testified that he thought he was going to be killed by Tingley-McAlee. The morning he killed her, he said, he found a needle with an unknown substance in their home, and he believed she would use it to kill him. He testified neither of them used intravenous drugs. 

Lewis testified he "lost it" while confronting her about the needle and repeatedly stabbed her. He then called 911, saying he just killed her. 

Lewis has already filed paperwork to appeal the conviction.