The man convicted in connection to the death of an infant in Cold Lake will serve three and a half more years in jail. On Tuesday Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Stephen Hillier handed out a sentence of eight years with credit for four and a half years time served to 38-year-old Sherman Whitford.
Whitford was originally facing a charge of second-degree murder in the 2017 death of 16-month-old Veronica Poitras but was instead found guilty of manslaughter in a St. Paul courtroom back in 2019. The sentencing was originally supposed to be done in March but saw delays due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Crown as well as defence lawyers reportedly mutually agreed to the four and a half years credit of time served, including what they call “enhanced credit” for time Whitford served in solitary confinement.