UPDATE: 3 p.m.
Roxanne Louie害羞草研究所檚 killer is now behind bars, which means her family can turn their full attention to the child she left behind.
害羞草研究所淥ur focus is to make sure (her son) is raised properly, to know the difference between right and wrong,害羞草研究所� said Dan Wilson, Louie害羞草研究所檚 uncle.
害羞草研究所�(He will be) shown a lot of love and given a chance to experience a happy childhood, just like everyone should be given that right.害羞草研究所�
Creating that environment will be complicated.
Pier Robotti, 63, was sentenced Tuesday to 27 months in prison, less three months, for dumping Louie害羞草研究所檚 body down an embankment off a rural Naramata area road.
His older sister Grace, 67, was sentenced at the same time to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years for the Jan. 4, 2015 killing.
While they will be out of the picture for awhile, the child害羞草研究所檚 father and grandmother 害羞草研究所� Grace害羞草研究所檚 daughter and grandson 害羞草研究所� are now, and will continue to be, part of the child害羞草研究所檚 upbringing alongside Louie害羞草研究所檚 relatives.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e done the best we could so far for the sake of the boy,害羞草研究所� said Wilson, of how both families have been able to work together since the killing.
害羞草研究所淏oth sides have abided by the court害羞草研究所檚 wishes and we haven害羞草研究所檛 discussed the trial with him. Both sides of the family are doing the best we can to ensure the boy is going to have a healthy and happy childhood.害羞草研究所�
Their co-operation in the aftermath of devastating violence, he said, is the only thing that has gone well. Working together in a way that best meets the need of the child, however, will get harder as time goes on.
害羞草研究所淢y only thought is with (Louie害羞草研究所檚 son) 害羞草研究所� in this day and age with computers and stuff, he害羞草研究所檚 five-years-old now and he害羞草研究所檚 going to Google his mom害羞草研究所檚 death at one point and how are we going to deal with that?害羞草研究所� said Wilson.
害羞草研究所淲e are going to need a lot of counselling, a lot of help and a lot of community support to get through this.害羞草研究所�
That害羞草研究所檚 been something they害羞草研究所檝e found easily, thus far.
害羞草研究所淎ll through the whole trial, especially when the proceedings were in Penticton, people would come up, that we didn害羞草研究所檛 even know, and just offer their condolences and support,害羞草研究所� Wilson said.
害羞草研究所淚 had a little old lady show up outside the courtroom in Penticton and give the family a hug. In the Okanagan we have it pretty good here. It害羞草研究所檚 the best place in the world to live and generally people get along, so to have that kind of support is really encouraging.害羞草研究所�
The court process has also revealed darker elements of the community as well, with various online forums becoming a battle ground where racism often reared its head.
For the most part, Wilson said, he avoided it.
He did, however, think the Robottis actions were fuelled by racism. Louie害羞草研究所檚 belongings, for example, were strewn across Penticton Indian Band reserve land.
害羞草研究所淗ow they covered their tracks害羞草研究所� with the cell phone and things like that, they were purposely spread on the reserve,害羞草研究所� Wilson said. 害羞草研究所淚f that害羞草研究所檚 not racism, I don害羞草研究所檛 know what is.害羞草研究所�
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, who was also related to Roxanne, said the failings in the way the courts deal with violence against indiginous women were laid bare during the sentencing process.
害羞草研究所淚 found it very offensive on the part of the bench to describe the part that the (great grandmother) wouldn害羞草研究所檛 be there to see the child graduate when the mother is gone,害羞草研究所� Phillip said.
害羞草研究所淪he was brutally, savagely and deliberately murdered and her body was dumped in a very disrespectful way. And for the bench to share that narrative with the relatives was really insensitive and reflects, in my view, the bias in the way this case was handled.害羞草研究所�
The reason Canada has violence against women and violence against indigenous women and girls in particular, he said, is because the criminal justice system and the courts are 害羞草研究所渇ar too lenient.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 why this issue has been perpetrated and represents a national disgrace to this country,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t will continue to be a national disgrace until such time that the courts deal with these cases appropriately. 害羞草研究所�
Louie害羞草研究所檚 family, he said, were left with a feeling of sadness, resignation and sense of helplessness when they heard the decision.
Wilson said they felt that way a lot through the trial. First, because they felt Grace should have been charged with first degree murder.Then when a second degree murder charge against Pier was dropped, and he pleaded guilty to indignity to a body.
Louie and her mother were 害羞草研究所渄ragged through the mud,害羞草研究所� he said and now the family will do what they can to make sure they害羞草研究所檙e remembered for who they actually were.
害羞草研究所�(Louie) was very loving,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淪he had moved on with her life, 害羞草研究所� her and (the boy害羞草研究所檚 father) had been split-up for a year and a half, nearly two years and she was enrolled in high fashion design classes and that害羞草研究所檚 why she moved to Vancouver. She was always drawing and doodling dresses, things like that. So, that was her dream.害羞草研究所�
Grace and Pier Robotti were taken away to serve their respective sentences following the court Justice Dev Dley害羞草研究所檚 decision.
害羞草研究所�-
UPDATE: 11:55 a.m.
Brother and sister Grace and Pier Robotti were sentenced Tuesday morning for their respective roles in the 2015 killing of Penticton害羞草研究所檚 Roxanne Louie.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Dev Dley agreed with the Crown and jury recommendation that Grace, 67, should be sentenced to 25 years behind bars with parole eligibility at 10 years. She was also sentenced to 27 months for the additional charges of indignity to a body, to be served concurrently.
Pier will spend an additional 24 months behind bars. Dley went with the joint submission of 27 months, less three months for time served, after Pier pleaded guilty to interference with a dead body in a trial that preceded his sister害羞草研究所檚.
Related:
More to come.
害羞草研究所�-
UPDATE: 11 a..m
Brother and sister Grace and Pier Robotti are set to be sentenced this morning for their respective roles in the 2015 killing of Penticton害羞草研究所檚 Roxanne Louie.
Crown counsel John Swanson is recommending Grace, 67, spend a minimum of 10 years behind bars before she is eligible for parole. Both Crown and defence counsel submit that Pier should spend an additional two years in prison.
Grace was found guilty of second degree murder. Pier had been charged with second degree murder, but the charge was stayed when he pleaded guilty to interference with a dead body in a trial that preceded his sister害羞草研究所檚.
Robotti killed Louie害羞草研究所攖he mother of her great-grandchild害羞草研究所攐n Jan. 4, 2015 by hitting her at least 26 times in the head with a small crowbar after an argument between the two had raged out of control.
Both have been out on bail until today害羞草研究所檚 sentencing.
Related:
Swanson submitted that Grace should serve 27 months for the charge of indignity to a body, to be served concurrently with her second-degree murder conviction of 25 years. Crown agreed with the jury害羞草研究所檚 unanimous recommendation of minimum parole eligibility at 10 years.
As for Pier, Crown and defence submit he should serve 27 months, less three months for time served.
Pier spoke in court Tuesday morning and said he 害羞草研究所渢erribly regrets害羞草研究所� what he did and is 害羞草研究所渟orry for害羞草研究所� his role in the crime. Especially for the pain he caused the Louie family in the week they thought she was missing.
The judge will return to the court with his decision at 11:30 a.m.
害羞草研究所�-
ORIGINAL: 6 a.m.
Grace and Pier Robotti are expected to be sentenced today for their respective roles in the 2015 killing of Penticton害羞草研究所檚 Roxanne Louie.
Grace, 67, has been found guilty of second degree murder. Pier had been charged with second degree murder, but the charge was stayed when he pleaded guilty to interference with a dead body in a trial that preceded his sister害羞草研究所檚.
Both have been out on bail until sentencing.
Robotti killed Louie害羞草研究所攖he mother of her great-grandchild害羞草研究所攐n Jan. 4, 2015 by hitting her at least 26 times in the head with a small crowbar after an argument between the two had raged out of control.
She told the jury, which she had taken responsibility for on Jan. 11, 2015, was an act of self defence. Louie, they were told, had a violent past and Robotti had been witness to flashes of it.
Crown counsel, however, pointed out that the sheer force used during a period that forensic evidence indicates Louie had been rendered immobile, was a sign that she wanted to kill the 26-year-old, thus meeting the standard for second degree murder.
During that trial, Pier told jurors that he intervened in a fight between his sister and the mother of her great grandson.
Louie, he told the court, was atop Grace and holding a crowbar. He tackled her, and they struggled on the floor. She, he told jurors, thrashed on the floor of the unlit room and he tried to subdue her by holding her arms.
He said he could hear his sister hitting her, but he didn害羞草研究所檛 know with what or how hard.
When Louie stopped moving he stood up to leave and put his hand in her blood. From there he knew something serious happened, but he left the room nonetheless.
He told jurors he left the room to attend to the child and when he returned 30 minutes later, Louie was covered with a blanket and his sister was cleaning blood.
害羞草研究所淲hen I first saw the scene I went outside and started chain smoking,害羞草研究所� Pier said.
When his sister joined him outside, he told her to call the police. Instead, she asked him to hide Louie害羞草研究所檚 body, so she could have time to get the child害羞草研究所檚 business in order. In particular, she wanted to get the child in the custody of her daughter, his grandmother.
害羞草研究所淪he said 害羞草研究所榓ll I ask you to do 害羞草研究所� is get rid of the body. Take my car,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Pier recalled Grace asking him.
He slid Louie害羞草研究所檚 body down a slope off a remote road in Naramata. It was caught on some shrubbery and Pier followed it down, crossed Louie害羞草研究所檚 arms over her chest. He then offered some words.
害羞草研究所淵ou害羞草研究所檙e with your elders now,害羞草研究所� he recalled telling her for jurors. 害羞草研究所淵our son害羞草研究所檚 here and you can look down on them.害羞草研究所�
He then went home, and cared for the child while Grace continued on with what she was doing. He told jurors he thought she害羞草研究所檇 only need two or three days, but it took nearly a week for her to complete what she wanted to get done.
害羞草研究所淚 knew what I was doing was wrong and I害羞草研究所檇 be doing some time for it,害羞草研究所� he told jurors.
