Lyrina Jacob sentenced to five years for stabbing death of mother
The family of Lydia and Lyrina Jacob say they have suffered two losses, but through forgiveness and support, they are now looking to the day when they will get Lyrina back after she serves her sentence for killing her mother Lydia.
Lyrina Jacob, 25, appeared before Justice Helen Pierce in a Thunder Bay courtroom on Monday for sentencing.
Last January, Jacob pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the stabbing death of her mother, 47-year-old Lydia Jacob, inside a Dawson Street apartment the afternoon of June 19, 2020.
According to the agreed statement of facts, Lyrina and Lydia Jacob were consuming alcohol inside the residence and both were described as heavily intoxicated.
A 911 call was received just before 2 p.m. advising first responders that a woman had just stabbed her mother. When police arrived, Lydia Jacob was found unresponsive with a stab wound on her upper body. Despite life-saving efforts she was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived.
Lyrina Jacob was located inside the apartment and placed under arrest. Investigators learned a witness received a social media message from Lyrina Jacob just before police were called stating: “Mom is on her last breath. I stabbed her many times.”
A pre-sentence report and Gladue report were ordered following the guilty plea and detailed challenges Lyrina Jacob faced growing up in Wunnumin Lake First Nation and various foster homes throughout the region.
By the age of 18, Lyrina Jacob had been placed with 24 foster families in 11 different communities and it was determined she developed an attachment disorder. Throughout her youth she also experienced abuse and has struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction from an early age.
Numerous family members were in the courtroom on Monday and two victim impact statements given in court expressed support for Lyrina Jacob.
“I do believe that we are a family that works towards healing rather than punishing,” said Fred Jacob, Lyrina Jacob’s uncle. “So we are definitely looking forward to those events between families.”
“On behalf of my family I came here to support Lyrina and encourage her to try to get treatment,” added Lyrina Jacob’s aunt, Evelyn Gliddy.
Defence counsel Sharon Scharfe said the support Lyrina Jacob has received from her family has been extraordinary.
“While the loss of Lydia has been an incredibly difficult time for the family, what is also incredible is that the family has forgiven her and she sought their forgiveness,” she said.
In a letter written by Lyrina Jacob and read into the record by her counsel George Joseph, she thanked members of her family for their continued love and support.
“I plan to continue on with my education and hopefully become a veterinarian. I hope to reunite with my son,” the letter read. “I will not ever touch alcohol again. I have learned my lesson. I am truly regretful and sorry.”
A joint submission was presented to Pierce for a sentence of five years in custody to be followed by 18 months probation.
“While [the sentence] may be on the lower end, Lyrina had no prior criminal record and has tremendous Gladue factors that are mitigating,” Crown attorney Thomas Bud said.
Bud did note that the aggravating factors in this case included the Lydia Jacob being Lyrina Jacob’s mother and the high level of intoxication, with Lyrina Jacob acknowledging responsibility for her actions but admitting to having no memory of the stabbing.
Pierce agreed that there were numerous mitigating factors in this case, including Lyrina Jacob’s lack of any past criminal record, her expressions of remorse, and the difficulties she had growing up in the child welfare system and struggles with addiction.
But Pierce made particular note of the strong familial supports Lyrina Jacob has to look forward to upon her release from custody.
“It is clear this has been a traumatic event for the family. Not only from the loss of Lydia but also the incarceration of Lyrina,” Pierce said. “There is real power in their forgiveness. They believe Lyrina can succeed with their help.”
While Pierce acknowledged that a five-year sentence is on the lower end for a conviction of manslaughter, she said it is appropriate in this case.
“In accepting counsel’s joint submissions, I take into account Lyrina’s circumstances. Society is best served if Lyrina does not fall back into substance abuse and violence,” Pierce said. “Lyrina is motivated to address her demons and embark on a healing journey. She has the love and support of her family to do so.”
Lyrina Jacob was sentenced to five years in custody at a provincial institution. With credit for pre-sentence custody of 40 months, she has 20 months left to serve.
Upon her release, Jacob will be subject to 18 months of probation and will be required to attend counselling and programming as set out by the court. She is also required to submit a DNA sample and is subject to a weapons prohibition for 10 years with an exemption for traditional sustenance hunting. – tbnewsatch.com
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I am not sure how this case fits into the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement in Canada. Here, we have a murdered Indigenous woman, with the murder only receiving a manslaughter conviction with a five year jail term.
The way I see it, if an Indigenous person murders an Indigenous woman, the tremendous’ Gladue factors provides the murderer with a shorter jail term which seems to cheapen the value of the life taken. Only five years for murdering someone? Manslaughter? Not second degree murder?
The MMIW should be hitting the streets to protest this travesty of justice. But they are silent. Why is that?
Seems to me, the courts are saying that if the murderer of an Indigenous woman is Indigenous, then the crime is less serious? Is that true?
Indigenous women, girls killed at rate six times higher than non-Indigenous: StatCan
The report also said most Indigenous women and girls were found to be killed by someone they knew, and those accused in most cases were also Indigenous.