THUNDER BAY – A local woman will spend nearly another two years behind bars for her role in the 2014 death of 35-year-old Jeffrey Munroe.
Priscilla Thomas was sentenced to four years in prison and three years of supervised probation in Thunder Bay Superior Court Monday afternoon. Thomas pleaded guilty earlier to manslaughter in connection with Munroe's Jan. 25, 2014 death.
With two years and two-and-a-half months served in pre-sentence custody, the 41-year-old who originally faced a charge of second-degree murder will serve another 657 days.
The incident took place in an apartment building on the corner of Kingsway Avenue and Walsh Street, where Munroe and Thomas lived. A domestic altercation took place, which resulted in Thomas stabbing Munroe three times in the chest.
He later died in hospital.
Thomas was found to have fresh facial wounds as a result of the altercation. Alcohol was determined to be a factor.
In Apr. 2016, Thomas pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Citing similar cases, the Crown sought a sentence of three-to-five years, while Thomas’ defense requested she receive a sentence of three years imprisonment or less.
During sentencing, Justice W.D. Newton said the fact the victim was a spouse was an aggravating factor and the sentence must be proportionate to the gravity of the offence and the degree of responsibility of the offender.
Newton also recommended that Thomas attend the Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre to participate in the Understanding the Journey and the Healing Journey.
Thomas is a member of the Longlac #58 First Nation and was born in Thunder Bay. During the sentencing, Newton outlined Thomas’s history with alcohol and drug abuse, as well as mental health issues relating to depression, anxiety, and several suicide attempts in her teens and later after her arrest.
In a letter to the court, Thomas expressed how “this ordeal has changed my life,” and how hurting the man she loved has traumatized her.
“Ms. Thomas does not have to be isolated to keep others safe,” Newton told the court. “Indeed, the person most at risk to harm from Ms. Thomas is Ms. Thomas.”
Thomas will be required to report to a probation officer upon release and attend psychological or psychiatric assessments as directed.
