WATCH: A man who stabbed another man to death outside a Victoria McDonald’s last year has been sentenced to more than seven years in jail. Justin Carte was sentenced today after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of 20-year-old Raphael Bussieres. Isabelle Raghem was in court.
The man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the stabbing death of 20-year-old Raphael Bussières in November 2016 has been sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison.
A drug addict for ten years, and high on drugs at the time, 26-year-old Justin Carte approached Bussières outside the McDonald’s restaurant at the corner of Douglas and View streets early in the morning on Nov. 26, 2016. He stabbed Bussières in the neck. Two days later, Bussières died in hospital. Carte’s long criminal record lists 32 previous convictions for violence-related crimes.
Bussières’ mother, father, and sisters had flown from Quebec City for the Crown and Defense submissions December 22nd. That’s when they said they were outraged with the court’s decision for manslaughter, rather than murder.
“For me, it doesn’t make sense,” said Stephanie Lachance, Raphael Bussières’ mother.
“The result of this crime is we lost our Raphael. Raphael is not here with us. And on the other side, the other guy will be in the street in the next four, five, six, maybe eight years,” said his father, Nicolas Bussières.
Bussières’ family was not in Victoria Thursday but watched and heard sentencing by video conference. Stephanie Lachance was seen crying and wiping tears while her husband, Nicola Bussières consoled her.
Carte’s family was in court Thursday for sentencing. A few of them were seen wiping tears.
Originally from Québec City, Bussièseres lived in Tofino for three years before moving to Victoria. He had only been in the city a month before his death. During victim impact statements in court, Bussièsers’ parents described how close he was to his sisters.
Carte will get credit for 19-and-half months, which means he will serve under six years.
Raphael Bussières, 20, was stabbed to death in Victoria in November 2016.
CHEK News
