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A sentencing hearing for a West Kelowna, B.C., woman, who killed her boyfriend with a vehicle in 2022, came to an abrupt halt on Friday after the court heard the accused was hospitalized following a drug overdose and suicide attempt during the daily lunch break.
The adjournment came during the second day of the hearing for 30-year-old Ka-Mikosit Favelle, who earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Adam Briand-Lawrence.
On Friday morning, Justice Catherine Murray informed the court she was considering a sentence even higher than the seven-year term the Crown had proposed. Favelle’s defense lawyer Paul McMurray has suggested a conditional sentence order with a period of house arrest, considering she has no prior criminal record.
Murray asked lawyers to prepare submissions to be presented once court resumed after the lunch break.
When the afternoon session began, however, McMurray told the judge, Favelle’s parents had informed him his client had been “taken by ambulance to hospital for an apparent drug overdose and suicide attempt.”
Favelle had been out on bail under conditions, including that she not possess illegal drugs.
Justice Murray issued a warrant for her arrest under section 512.3 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to court breaches.
“We will adjourn until Ms. Favelle is able to appear before me to have a bail hearing,” Murray said.
A residential road in West Kelowna
On the first day of the hearing, the court heard details of the relationship between Favelle and Briand-Lawrence, 35, which involved heavy substance use.
On Aug. 19, 2022, after an argument, Favelle accelerated her vehicle to 95 km/h before striking Briand-Lawrence on a curvy, residential road in West Kelowna.
According to the Crown, at one point Favelle attempted to steer away but struck Briand-Lawrence, killing him.
In 2023, Favelle was charged with second-degree murder, but she later pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Crown argues case is ‘near murder’
During the hearing, Crown lawyer Jordan Schroeder told the court Favelle continued to abuse drugs and alcohol after her arrest and at times stopped taking her prescribed anti-psychotic medication.
He characterized her actions as “near murder” on the manslaughter scale and argued for a sentence of six to seven years.
Several members of Briand-Lawrence’s family attended the sentencing hearing. On Friday, his sister, Stephanie Lawrence, described him as a man who loved his family and “would take the shirt off his back for a stranger.”
Speaking to reporters at lunch, before learning of the reported overdose, Lawrence said her family felt that the judge’s decision to consider a longer sentence meant she was taking the case seriously.
“Hopefully [the sentencing decision] is going to bring a little bit of peace to our family.
Those feelings of hope turned to frustration, however, after learning of the further delays in the sentencing hearing following the report of Favelle’s overdose and hospitalization.
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