THUNDER BAY – Shawn Joseph Henderson will spend six years in prison for his role in the 2013 murder of Travis Cutfeet.
Henderson pleaded guilty earlier this year and on Wednesday was sentenced to manslaughter in a Thunder Bay courtroom.
The judge handed down a nine-year prison term. After credit for time served was awarded, which broke down to 1.5 days for every day served prior to Wednesday’s sentencing, Henderson is expected to spend another six years in jail.
The 37-year-old was originally charged with second-degree murder. The charge came after the fatal May 2013 stabbing of Cutfeet, a 30-year-old Thunder Bay man, who died on a May Street sidewalk.
Earlier in January the second-degree murder charge was withdrawn at the Thunder Bay Courthouse and Henderson pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
At that time, the court heard how Cutfeet was stabbed three times – twice in the back and once in the chest.
The lethal stab wound was the one to the chest, which struck the victim’s heart.
Cutfeet was declared dead on the scene by paramedics.
The Crown asked for a sentence of 14 to 15 years, while Henderson’s lawyer David Young agreed that penitentiary time was appropriate but requested a seven-year jail sentence for his client minus time served pre-trial.
Justice Helen Pierce said that although Henderson underwent a violent upbringing and had the support of his family in court with him, his lengthy criminal record showed he was deeply entrenched in criminal lifestyle.
Henderson had 39 convictions on his record; six of them were for violent incidents and another six involved weapons. Of the six violent offences, two were for aggravated assault.
The accused had a well-established pattern of violent behaviour, said Pierce.
However, the judge said that while Henderson is not young, he is not old and does have a chance to reclaim his life.
According to the agreed statement of facts entered earlier this year, on May 1, 2013 a number of witnesses say they saw both the accused and victim at Newfie’s Pub and heard Henderson demand money from Cutfeet.
Cutfeet left the pub with a small group of people, eventually reaching May Street and travelling northbound on foot.
Video surveillance footage from the area captures Henderson following the group.
Witnesses say Henderson approached the group from behind. No one saw a knife but they saw flashes of silver and Henderson strike Cutfeet.
Police received calls of an unresponsive male in the area around 5:21 p.m. Paramedics say Cutfeet’s vital signs were absent upon their arrival.
Through police investigation, Henderson was arrested later that evening in a Victoria Avenue apartment building. A knife was found in a hoodie and clothes matching the accused’s description were found in his apartment near a packed duffle bag.
The judge also issued Henderson with a lifetime weapons ban and he must also submit a DNA sample.
