For Roxanna Moar, the events from nearly two years ago when her three-year-old nephew was stabbed and killed in his home have brought “deep grief and trauma.”
Ms. Moar described how her life has been empty since Hunter Smith-Straight died in hospital days after a relative found the boy stabbed six times in the head and neck in his bedroom.
Ms. Moar wrote in a victim-impact statement that it’s hard to look at photos or watch videos of Hunter.
Her statement was read Friday by Crown prosecutor Jennifer Mann at the sentencing hearing of Daniel Jensen in Winnipeg Court of Queen’s Bench.
Mr. Jensen, who is 34, was found guilty this week of first-degree murder in the 2019 death of his former girlfriend’s son. He automatically received a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
Ms. Moar lived in the bottom suite of a duplex while her sister, Clarice Smith, lived upstairs with Hunter, Mr. Jensen and one of Ms. Smith’s nephews.
In the statement, Ms. Moar described the effect of seeing her nephew shortly after he was attacked.
“For days I couldn’t close my eyes,” Ms. Moar wrote. “I was by his bedside as he took his last breath.”
Ms. Moar said the family feels cheated to only have had three years to spend with the boy, who had dreams of becoming a police officer. The family continues to celebrate his birthday.
He did not speak during the sentencing, but his lawyer told Justice Herbert Rempel that Mr. Jensen’s mother, who was present through much of the trial, had conveyed her sympathies to Hunter’s family.
The Crown argued at trial that Mr. Jensen attacked the boy as a way to get back at Hunter’s mother after the couple got into a violent argument.
He had been in an on-and-off again relationship with Ms. Smith for about seven months. At the time of the attack, Mr. Jensen was bound by a court order not to have contact with her.
However, the two spent the evening of Oct. 29, 2019, together with Ms. Moar and her partner, court heard.
The couple ended up at a bar where they fought violently. Witnesses testified Mr. Jensen threatened to have Hunter taken away from Ms. Smith.
Court was told Mr. Jensen left the bar by himself after Ms. Smith rejected him. That’s when he went back to the home and stabbed the sleeping toddler before leaving the house.
The defence argued someone else in the home could have hurt the boy.
Outside the courthouse Friday, one of Hunter’s grandmothers spoke briefly on behalf of family members, who comforted her on all sides while holding enlarged photos of the child.
“We are relieved to have justice for Hunter, although it does not bring him back to us,” Charlene Straight said while fighting back tears. “We feel that justice has been served and Hunter may rest in peace now.”
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.