Winnipeg man who murdered woman pregnant with his child admits to 'heinous' act, seeks early parole
CBC
WARNING: This story contains disturbing details.
A man convicted of killing the woman who was pregnant with his child over a decade ago testified this week in a Winnipeg court — the first time he's done so in connection with the murder — in a bid to receive early parole eligibility.
Nathaniel Plourde, then 19, beat Roxanne Fernando, 24, to death with a monkey wrench in February 2007 while they were on what she thought was a date — an attack planned for weeks, he admitted in court Thursday.
Plourde was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years in 2009 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in Fernando's killing.
But now, a 12-person jury will decide whether Plourde will be able to apply for early parole eligibility under the "faint hope" clause in Canada's Criminal Code, which allowed convicted killers to apply for early parole after serving at least 15 years. It was repealed in 2011 but still applies to crimes committed before that date.
The Parole Board of Canada would ultimately decide whether he is granted parole, if the jury decides in his favour.
During his testimony, which began Wednesday, jurors were told that during his imprisonment, Plourde has adopted Christianity, done university courses, taken up carpentry and done suicide prevention work.
The now 36-year-old choked back tears on Thursday when defence lawyer Carley Mahoney asked what he would say to Fernando's family if they were to hear the court proceedings.
"I had no right to take away the life of your daughter, your sister, and I had no right to take away the life of the child she was carrying, and for that I'm sorry," Plourde responded.
Fernando and Plourde had started a brief, intimate relationship months after meeting as employees at a Winnipeg McDonald's restaurant in 2006.
Plourde later learned Fernando was pregnant with his baby.
He previously said he wanted to kill Fernando because she wouldn't agree to stop pursuing a relationship with him, according to an agreed statement of facts from Plourde's first-degree murder plea.
"But what we heard at this hearing is that it was actually about the baby, wasn't it?" Crown prosecutor Michael Desautels asked Plourde on Thursday.
"Correct," Plourde replied.
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