What is the point of a costly trial if the final decision can be overturned on a whim?
A Regina murderer is looking at the possibility of parole after serving just 17 years of his life sentence because of a clause called a "faint hope" hearing. Faint hope? Really?
Seventeen years ago Lyle Bellegarde made the decision to brutally beat to death an innocent 26-year-old restaurant owner in a crime that was described as "horrific." "There was massive fractures to virtually all of his facial bones and his eyes were pushed to the back of his head," said a pathologist at the trial. "Several of his teeth had been torn out and one was found in the airway to his lungs... This is extreme violence... Mr. Barlas died a death I can only describe as horrific..."
Wow. Where is the hope for the victim? There isn't any as it was taken away by a cold blooded killer.
Today though, Bellegarde has an eager lawyer who says he has changed. "Seventeen years is a very long period of time... He seems to be doing all the right things. He looks like a success story."
Whether he "seems" to be something or he doesn't matters not to me. Look at what this man did. A jury found him guilty and sentenced him to prison with no chance of parole for at least 25 years. That should be that, end of discussion.
There is a clause though that says different. Apparently the federal government had sense enough to get rid of the "faint hope" concept but Bellegarde's crime predates the change. The decision now lies in the hands of the Court of Queen's Bench and ultimately the Parole Board of Canada. All I can say is I hope they take a close look at all of the facts surrounding this case BEFORE they send this guy to the streets. He's already serving his time in a Cree "Healing Lodge" with passes to attend sweat lodges and the like, freeing him would be an added slap in the faces of family and friends left to cope with the loss of their loved one.
"I haven't seen him (Bellegarde) in 17 years," said a weeping family member as they watched him being escorted from court this week to await a final decision. Can you imagine how this family feels?
Faint hope, good behaviour, looking like a success, I don't care, I hope government gets it right when all of this plays out.
