Co-accused in Sparvier case sentenced to 2.5 years in prison

In the agreed statement of facts read in court, between the evening of Dec. 30, 2019 and the early hours of Dec. 31, 2019, Sparvier, Heathen and Bird were initially at the same residence with several other individuals. Bird and Sparvier had no prior knowledge of one another. However, Sparvier and Heathen had known each other previously. When Heathen saw Sparvier she punched him multiple times and told him to leave. Sparvier then left on foot.

The other individuals left in two trucks – one black and one white. Sparvier, who was wearing a jacket, was then stopped and told to enter one of the trucks. He later ended up in the same white truck as Heathen and Bird, which proceeded to the Frenchman Butte rural area. In a farmer’s field, Heathen proceeded to attack Sparvier with a knife, stabbing him multiple times. Sparvier was unarmed and not wearing his jacket. It is unclear what Bird was doing at this time.

On Jan. 1, 2020, Sparvier’s body was found frozen, without his jacket, in the farmer’s field, as he succumbed to his injuries. The autopsy showed the cause of death was multiple stab wounds. Blunt force trauma was also found to play a role in his death.

The court heard it was admitted by Bird that he was present when Heathen inflicted the injuries on Sparvier which caused his death, and that he was aware Heathen intended to kill Sparvier while she was attacking him in the farmer’s field. Heathen and Bird left Sparvier there, and torched the white truck to hide the evidence. Bird admitted that, at Heathen’s request, he drove the white truck with her as his passenger from the farmer’s field to where the truck was burned.

Blood evidence was later found on Sparvier’s jacket and inside the truck itself by the RCMP when they recovered the burnt vehicle, the contents of which were still intact.

Crown prosecutor Charlotte Morden and Defence attorney Nicole Leinenweber submitted a joint recommendation in the case, recommending a two years and six months jail sentence, less credit for time served.

Morden said as an aggravating factor, Bird destroyed the evidence, as he was involved in burning the truck.

Leinenweber noted Gladue factors as a mitigating factor. She said Bird regrets his actions. He is making efforts towards rehabilitation, and has started taking the STR8 UP support program, which she said will continue to help him when he leaves custody.

Also as mitigating factors, are Bird’s young age and his guilty plea.

In the submitted victim impact statements related to Sparvier’s death, Braeden Sparvier’s brother Travis Montana expressed his profound sadness at losing his brother. Sparvier’s mother Karen Montana wrote: “My heart was stolen from me… My son lived in fear. I don’t want any parents to lose their kids.”

When Bird addressed the court, he said he was sorry.

Ultimately, Justice Krista Zerr accepted the Crown and Defence recommendation. Bird received a sentence of 912 days or 2.5 years in jail. Less 416 days credit for time already in custody, he now has 496 days left to serve. Bird was also ordered to a firearms prohibition and must comply with a no contact order. He must also provide a DNA sample.

Bird’s charge of manslaughter was withdrawn.

Zerr told Bird of his role as an accessory in the case, while he was not coerced, it was clear “you was on a path that you couldn’t get off of.”

“That path was in large part dictated by the fact you had been recruited into a gang and felt compelled to follow the directions of other people in that gang, some of whom were older than you,” she said.

Zerr also said as an aggravating factor, Bird had the knowledge of the vicious attack that happened in front of him, and he drove away with the intent to burn the vehicle and destroy the evidence.

The co-accused Shari Heathen, 28, was previously sentenced to life in prison for second degree murder, with no chance of parole for 15 years, after pleading guilty on June 11, 2021.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow

by battlefordsNOW Staff

Co-accused in Sparvier case sentenced to 2.5 years in prison

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