A man who was originally acquitted in the brutal sex slaying of an Edmonton teenager was convicted of first-degree murder in the case on Wednesday.
Mr. Justice Keith Yamauchi of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta ruled that Michael Briscoe, 41, did not directly kidnap, sexually assault or murder Nina Courtepatte on a golf course in April, 2005.
However, he found that Mr. Briscoe had assisted another man, Joseph Laboucan, knew of his intentions and provided tools used in the killing.
"I never planned for her to be hurt. I never wanted her to be hurt," Mr. Briscoe said in a rambling, disjointed apology offered in court.
"Right now it looks like I'm forced to go in the garbage can."
A group of people lured the 13-year-old girl from West Edmonton Mall to the golf course with the promise of a party. She was raped and beaten to death. Her body was discovered the next day.
Mr. Laboucan was earlier convicted of Ms. Courtepatte's murder and Mr. Briscoe was found not guilty after testifying he only drove the car and did not know of the group's plan to kill the girl. But the Supreme Court of Canada overturned Mr. Briscoe's acquittal and ordered him a new trial.
Outside court, Ms. Courtepatte's mother, Peacha Atkinson, said justice had been served.
"He could have saved a lot of pain and grief that night," she said. "Instead, he still drove the car to the golf course and he did what he did."
Mr. Briscoe was acquitted Wednesday in the death of Ellie May Meyer, a 33-year-old prostitute who was killed two days before Ms. Courtepatte.
Her body was found by a farmer working in his field east of Edmonton a month after Ms. Courtepatte's body was found.
Mr. Laboucan was also convicted of first-degree murder in her killing.
But Judge Yamauchi ruled it was possible that while Mr. Briscoe drove to the field, he didn't know Mr. Laboucan's true intention.
Mr. Briscoe's mother, Violet, attended Wednesday's court hearing but offered little comment.
"I have nothing to say," she told reporters. "What is, is. Right?"
The Canadian Press