A Winnipeg man who admitted to letting his elderly mother die on the floor of their home broke his silence today during a sentencing hearing.
Ronald Siwicki, 66, previously pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death.
The Crown is asking for jail time, but Siwicki's lawyer said his client doesn't belong in custody.
Described by his lawyer as a talented musician, Siwicki took a different stage Tuesday afternoon, in a courtroom.
With supporters in the gallery he stood before Court of Queen's Bench Justice Colleen Suche and made his case for leniency.
"I never intentionally meant to cause harm to my mom,” said Siwicki. "I will never forgive myself for not getting my mom the help she deserved."
He apologized and told Justice Suche he wasn't thinking clearly when his mom needed his help.
Elizabeth Siwicki, 89, lived with dementia and fell out of her bed sometime before November 21, 2014 where she remained on the floor covered in feces and urine until her death some four weeks later.
She shared the home with her son Ronald who tried to help her up but couldn't and never called for help.
Instead, Crown attorney Alanna Littman described how Ronald fed her nutritional drinks while going about his routine of playing in a band two nights a week and updating his Facebook page.
"All the while his mother is in his house lying on the floor beside her bed, alone." Littman told court. "No 911 call. No ambulance. Just left to slowly die on the floor. Wounds festering, suffering alone in pain."
Court heard Elizabeth died due to severe bed sores from lying on her side, and had she gotten help she would've survived.
Siwicki told court he was only doing what his mom wanted.
"My mom told me she wanted to die at home, not in a hospital or a nursing home,” Siwicki told court. "I didn't call for help out of respect for my mom's wishes. I now see how wrong that was and I should've disobeyed her."
The Crown told court Siwicki is rationalizing his behaviour by blaming his mother.
Littman asked Justice Suche to impose a sentence in the range of three to four years.
"The sentence must say that we as a community will not tolerate the neglect of our most vulnerable,” Littman told court.
Siwicki's lawyer Michael Cook said his client should serve a community-based sentence of two years.
“His crime is that he was neglectful,” Cook told court. “He wasn’t overtly abusive to his mom.”
“The jails in Manitoba, the prisons in Manitoba do not need Ronald Siwicki to join their fold.”
Siwicki told Justice Suche he doesn't want to go back to jail. He spent three weeks in custody after his arrest and said he had a horrible time.
Justice Suche has reserved her decision, meaning Siwicki will have to wait until at least July 10 to find out his sentence.
