A Comox Valley teen will soon know how long he will remain in custody, as his sentencing hearing for the second-degree murder of James Denton is scheduled to begin Monday at the Courtenay courthouse.
In August, Justice R.B.T. Goepel found the teen, who was 16 at the time of the murder, guilty. Crown prosector Gordon Baines noted he would seek an adult sentence.
Court heard throughout the trial, which concluded in June, that Denton, 19, was stabbed twice — once in the left armpit and once in the left lower back — near the entrance to G.P. Vanier Secondary School following the conclusion in July 2011 of a day-long music festival at the nearby Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds.
The accused cannot be named because of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA).
Baines said he is seeking the adult sentence based on the circumstances of the case and the actions of the accused, and noted a youth sentence would not be adequate.
Goepel ordered a pre-sentence and psychological report for the sentencing hearing.
Under the YCJA, the maximum sentence for second-degree murder is seven years, with a maximum of four years in custody, and the remainder to be served in the community with conditions and under supervision.
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