Nicholas Webber has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the death of a 54-year-old Thunder Bay man.
Webber, 20, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and break and enter in the March 18, 2011 incident that took the life of Robert Topping. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison minus the 696 days he spent in pre-sentence custody.
Justice Doug Shaw also sentenced Webber to seven years for break and enter to be served concurrently.
According to the agreed statement of facts, Webber was one of four males that broke into a Minnesota Street home where Paulett Cloutier was house-sitting for her son.
Cloutier had called her friend Topping to come over after she saw shadowy figures outside the house.
The four men then broke into the house and demanded money, jewelry and drugs. They pinned Cloutier down and threatened her with a knife. One of the males was left to watch Cloutier while Webber and the two others went into the bedroom.
Cloutier heard Topping confront the men in the bedroom and she heard a struggle and screaming.
Webber admitted in his testimony in January that he was one of the men in the bedroom and participated in the altercation with Topping.
He saw one of the other two men raise and lower the knife several times.
The post-mortem revealed Topping had been stabbed four times in the back. Two of the wounds punctured his lungs. He died from hypoxia and blood loss due to stab wounds.
Justice Shaw said he took Webber’s age, guilty plea, remorse and apology into consideration when deciding the sentence, stating he is young and has potential for redemption.
However, Webber did participate in the altercation and did not try to stop the attack on Topping. He and the other two men “simply walked away.”
Cloutier said she was satisfied with the sentence, but sad that Topping will not get another chance in 10 years like Webber will have.
“It’s been a rollercoaster ride. I’m afraid. I have panic attacks. I fear for my life. I will never forget that night. I think about it every day and night,” she said.
“I have nightmares. I don’t think it will ever go away.”
Police charged Webber along with Cody Thompson, who died while in custody, Christopher Hawk and Sheldon Wabason in the incident. The murder charge was dropped against Hawk, who pleaded guilty to robbery in April 2012.
