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Two men have been sentenced to six years in prison for the death of a Metchosin man who was beaten with hammers in a Carey Road driveway three years ago.
Nathen Monsour, 34, and Lee Hart, 40, were originally charged with second-degree murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Shawn Douglas Campbell on Oct. 1, 2018.
“Death was not intended here. I doubt it was expected. But bodily harm certainly was,” provincial court Judge Lisa Mrozinski said Friday. “I find both men are highly morally culpable for Mr. Campbell’s death.”
Monsour and Hart acted as vigilantes when they set out to teach Campbell a lesson for assaulting his wife, Amanda MacDonald, and leaving her with a concussion a few days earlier, said Mrozinski.
“The sentence can never make up for the death of Mr. Campbell. No sentence can compensate his family for their loss. It can offer little in the way of solace for this unspeakable act, but it can provide a measure of justice,” said the judge, adding that society will not tolerate those who take the law into their own hands.
Outside court, Campbell’s 18-year-old daughter Hayley was embraced by her mother, Tracy Cheetham, and her grandfather, Douglas Campbell, who had tears streaming down his face.
“No amount of time would have been sufficient for the pain caused, not just for myself, but my whole family,” said Hayley, who was 14 when her father was killed.
The sentence will give the two men time to reflect on their actions and a chance for her to move forward, she said.
“It’s nice for it to be over and not weighing on me anymore.”
Court has heard that Campbell and Monsour were good friends but that friendship deteriorated quickly in the days between Sept. 25 and Sept. 29, 2018.
Campbell was “nearly manic with jealousy” over Monsour’s friendship with his wife. At one point, when Campbell couldn’t get in touch with MacDonald, he was ready to walk from Carey Road to Sooke. He then damaged Monsour’s truck and apartment.
Monsour knew Campbell’s jealousy-fuelled anger was escalating, said the judge. He knew Campbell could be unpredictable. And on the day of assault, Monsour wanted to avenge MacDonald, Mrozinski said.
On the afternoon of Sept. 29, Monsour and Hart ran down the driveway and attacked the unarmed Campbell, striking him on the back of the head and over his right eye. Campbell’s friend Neil Albrecht, who was also injured in the attack, heard one of the men say: “That’s what you get for beating your wife,” before they ran off.
Campbell sustained skull fractures and lacerations near his right eye. He was pronounced dead on Oct. 1, 2018.
The judge accepted that both men are remorseful. Hart’s letters to Albrecht, Campbell’s parents and daughter show a deep insight into the crime and the effects on all its victims, she said. Monsour also showed considerable emotion when he spoke directly to family members, apologizing for causing Campbell’s death.
The victim impact statements presented to the court reveal that Campbell was not the perfect husband or father, but he was valued, said Mrozinski.
“Mr. Campbell was obviously a complex individual, capable of showing great love and also capable of showing and acting on anger. It is clear he lived a life of ups and down. But there is a consistency …. He was loyal and he valued loyalty.”
Although it’s not possible to know how long Monsour and Hart planned the attack, it was calculated, said Mrozinski.
“No one seems to have considered the wisdom of setting upon Mr. Campbell with hammers,” she said.
Campbell had no weapon and was not in a position to defend himself, and the fact that neither Monsour nor Hart offered the grievously injured man any aid is an aggravating factor, the judge said.
“It was two persons armed with hammers setting upon a defenceless man on the ground in a very vulnerable position,” she said.
But Mrozinski also called the men’s guilty pleas and sincere remorse mitigating, noting Hart confessed to the crime and is committed to his rehabilitation, while Monsour has no criminal record and has behaved well on bail.
Monsour, who was given credit for 144 days of time served, has five years and seven months left to serve on his sentence.
Hart received a nine-month consecutive sentence after pleading guilty to assaulting Albrecht with a weapon. He has close to four years left to serve.
