Isaac Melko is led out of the courthouse following his sentencing hearing Wednesday. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

RCMP investigation

Melko receives 12-year jail sentence for manslaughter in Gatzke case

Feb 15, 2023 | 3:09 PM

One of the people facing charges in the death of Ryan John Gatzke in Battleford in 2019 received a 12-year jail sentence for manslaughter in the Court of King’s Bench in Battleford Wednesday.

Isaac Melko, 25, of North Battleford, was facing a charge of second-degree murder in the case. He instead pleaded guilty to the lesser included charge of manslaughter.

Prosecutors Kofi Nkrumah-Young and Jennifer Schmidt represented the Crown, and lawyer Blaine Beaven acted as defence counsel in the case.

Justice Richard Danyliuk issued the 12-year sentence less credit for time served. Melko has 2,872 days or about eight years left to serve. He was also ordered to submit a DNA sample. Melko also received a 10-year mandatory weapons prohibition.

The court ordered a publication ban on the details of the sentencing hearing until all the accused individuals have gone through the court process.

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Among the co-accused, Charles Michael Lewis McLean , 25, of North Battleford, was previously sentenced to four years in custody, after pleading guilty to manslaughter last year.

Jacob Joseph Ballantyne, of Edam, and an 18-year-old male North Battleford resident, who was 17 years old at the time of incident and cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, are also facing charges in the case. They are each scheduled for upcoming trials this year.

Police previously reported, Gatzke, 27, was found with serious injuries in a Battleford home on Oct. 18, 2019, and later declared deceased after being taken to hospital.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow