Read the full decision
Bishop sentenced to 20 years
Cambridge Bay man killed three men, injured two others
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Published Tuesday, February 3, 2015
IQALUIT
Chris Bishop, who pleaded guilty to three counts of manslaughter and two counts of attempted murder in a plea agreement Jan. 14, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison less time served.
"The moral blameworthiness associated with Mr. Bishop's actions in deliberately shooting down his fleeing antagonists is extremely high," wrote Justice Robert Kilpatrick in his Jan. 22 sentencing decision. "The court is satisfied that the 20-year sentence proposed by the Crown and defence, being at the extreme high end for manslaughter offences, is nonetheless justified in this case."
The Cambridge Bay man will serve about four more years because Kilpatrick allowed a two-for-one credit for Bishop's eight years in prison since the tragic events of 2007 that saw him shoot and kill Keith Atatahak, 30, Kevin Komaksiut, 22, and Dean Costa, 29, during a home invasion. Antoinette Bernhardt and Logan Pigalak were wounded.
"While Mr. Bishop's action in discharging the firearm was a direct consequence of the home invasion and was initially a step taken in self-defence, the defence concedes that the amount of force ultimately used by Mr. Bishop was excessive," stated Kilpatrick. "The rifle was fired not once, but 25 times. Mr. Bishop continued to hit human targets long after the risk to his own personal safety was over."
Bishop was convicted of three counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder in a trial by jury in 2010, and sentenced to life imprisonment. The decision was overturned in the
Nunavut Court of Appeal in January 2013 and a new trial was ordered. The plea bargain presented Jan. 14 meant a new trial was avoided but allowed the opportunity for victim impact statements to be made toward sentencing.
The main disagreement between the Crown and defence at the sentencing hearing related to credit for time served, with the Crown presenting justification for lower credit and defence for higher and extraordinary credit, citing, among other issues, the conditions at the Baffin Correctional Centre.
Kilpatrick stated he gave "anxious consideration to both Crown and defence submissions on the issue of credit, and noting, in particular, the extraordinary length of time already served by Mr. Bishop prior to this sentencing ."
In the end, Kilpatrick opted for two-for-one credit.
Kilpatrick concluded his decision with a poignant message.
"For those who now grieve, no sentence can possibly compensate for what has been taken, and is now lost. Those who were lucky enough to survive the carnage are now scarred with a memory that is a living nightmare. The court extends its condolences to all those who have suffered loss or injury, and wish them well in the long healing journey ahead."
