Teen sentenced as adult, co-accused given maximum youth sentence in Winnipeg park killing
WARNING: The details in this article may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised.
Two teens have been sentenced for the murder of Paul Enns, one as an adult and the other as a youth.
Enns, a 43-year-old man from Winnipeg, was found dead inside his car during the early morning hours of Feb. 26, 2022, in an Assiniboine Park parking lot.
On Wednesday, the two youth charged in his death—a female from Stonewall and a male from Warren, aged 15 and 17 at the time of the killing—learned their sentences.
The co-accused had previously each pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder.
Court of King’s Bench Justice Vic Toews said a sentence under the Youth Criminal Justice Act would not be long enough to hold the male accountable for his actions.
Justice Toews said the evidence was clear that the male was the leader in the plan to lure the victim to a park and rob him.
“Together with the co-accused, he planned the robbery, and he had the foresight to arm himself. He made the conscious decision to assault the victim, and he carried out that plan with brutal efficiency,” Toews said in his sentencing decision.
He added that the circumstances of the robbery and murder confirm that the male had the moral capacity of an adult at the time because it was planned over an extended period.
“The possession of weapons demonstrates that [the male] understood the potential consequences of the decision to rob the victim,” Toews said.
The male was sentenced to life in prison and will be eligible for parole after seven years because he is a youth being sentenced as an adult.
The co-accused in the case, a teenage girl, was also sentenced Wednesday. She was given the maximum allowable sentence under the Youth Criminal Justice Act for the crime of second-degree murder. She received a four-year sentence in secure custody followed by a three-year period of conditional supervision.
“It is clear from the evidence that she was an active participant who apparently had no regret about her participation in the murder until she was apprehended,” Justice Toews said, adding to some extent she was a follower in the crime.
Toews said the girl armed herself with a sharpened screwdriver, initiated the violence, and stabbed the victim three times before the co-accused joined in with a baseball bat, bludgeoning the victim to death.
“While it appears from the autopsy that the stab wounds were not the cause of death, her apparent willingness to use a weapon in this fashion is very disconcerting,” Toews said.
The female accused will be back in court for annual reviews where the judge could adjust her sentence to a less-stringent form of custody.
The identities of the two accused are protected by a publication ban.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Labour minister pushes for 'deal at the table' after Canada Post union issues strike notice
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says the federal government currently has no plans to intervene in negotiations after the union representing Canada Post workers issued a 72-hour strike notice.
What consumers need to know if Canada Post workers strike ahead of a busy holiday season
Canada's postal workers could walk off the job or the company could lock them out as soon as 12:01 a.m. ET Friday if the union and the company don't reach an agreement. Here are tips for shoppers and businesses.
BREAKING Feds move to end work stoppages at ports, order binding arbitration
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says he is intervening to end the work stoppages at ports in both British Columbia and Montreal.
23 arrested after at least 100 shots fired in exchange of gunfire outside Toronto recording studio: police
Police say 23 people are in custody after at least 100 shots were fired in an exchange of gunfire outside a West Queen West recording studio on Monday night.
Campaign staffer resigns after N.S. PCs accused of vote-buying with Tim's gift cards
The Nova Scotia Liberal Party has filed a complaint with Elections Nova Scotia, accusing a Progressive Conservative candidate of trying to buy votes by allegedly handing out gift cards outside of a Tim Hortons.
Ottawa high school principal apologizes for song played during Remembrance Day assembly
The principal of an Ottawa high school is apologizing to students, parents and guardians after an Arabic-language song was played during the school's Remembrance Day service.
The Taliban will attend a UN climate conference for the first time
The Taliban will attend a UN climate conference for the first time since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, the country's national environment agency said Sunday.
Federal judge blocks Louisiana law that requires classrooms to display Ten Commandments
A new Louisiana requirement that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public classroom by Jan. 1 was temporarily blocked Tuesday by a federal judge who said the law is 'unconstitutional on its face.'
Northern Ont. suspect sentenced to house arrest five days before vicious attack on ex-girlfriend
The 18-year-old man accused in a vicious attack on his ex-girlfriend in Cobalt last week was sentenced to house arrest five days before the Nov. 3 assault.