In a surprising turn, convicted killer Kevin Mantla fired both his lawyers moments before he was to be sentenced for second-degree murder and attempted murder – leaving the slain victim's family members frustrated and disappointed.
“It's like another blow of trauma,” a relative of Mantla's victim told Yellowknifer, but requested not to be named.
In September 2015, the 38-year-old Gameti man travelled to Yellowknife, where he carried out a brutal and bloody knife attack at a Lanky Court apartment, stabbing Elvis Lafferty to death and seriously injuring Lafferty's partner, Mantla's ex-girlfriend.
Kevin Mantla enters the Yellowknife Courthouse in May..
May 24, 2018.
In May, Justice Louise Charbonneau found Mantla guilty of second-degree murder and attempted murder. The judge was satisfied the Crown proved beyond a reasonable doubt Mantla carried out the attack and that he intended to kill both Lafferty and Mantla's ex-girlfriend.
But in coming to her decision, which was largely based on the testimony of children who witnessed the bloody and violent attack, Charbonneau ruled there wasn't enough evidence to conclude Mantla had planned the attack, despite submissions from prosecutors who called the stabbing a well-thought-out crime fuelled by jealousy.
With a conviction for second-degree murder automatically carrying a life sentence with no chance of parole for at least 10 years, a shackled Mantla entered NWT Supreme Court Tuesday to learn his fate.
But as the hearing began, Mantla's now-former lawyer, Charles Davison, informed Charbonneau his client had lost confidence in him and Kate Oja – both of whom represented Mantla during a three-week judge-alone trial in February.
As a result, Mantla was left without representation, prompting Charbonneau to address the convicted murderer as he sat in the nearby prisoner's booth.
“My trial is finished so why would I need a lawyer?” asked Mantla, standing to answer to Charbonneau.
Mantla went on to say his Constitutional rights were violated, claiming all of the evidence from the Crown hadn't been disclosed.
Following the unusual development, a legal aid representative approached the bench to address Charbonneau, telling the court it could take weeks to determine whether Mantla is eligible for legal aid, and longer still to see which lawyers are available to take on the case.
Addressing the court, prosecutor Jill Andrews said the Crown had intended to move along with sentencing, adding new delays are the result of “Mantla's choices.”
Charbonneau ultimately adjourned the matter to July 12 – but only to address the status of Mantla's legal aid situation.
Andrews and Crown prosecutor Blair McPherson weren't the only ones expecting to resolve the case in court Tuesday.
Outside of the Yellowknife courthouse, Norman Howe, a family friend of the Lafferty's, lamented the adjournment, telling Yellowknifer the extended delay means more strain on an already travel-worn family.
“I know it's tough for them driving back and forth from Behchoko,” said Howe.
Howe's exasperation was echoed by Lafferty's teary-eyed father, who said he came with his family to “get it over with.” Now, he said, they're forced to continue their back and forth travels.
Joelle Vital, a friend of Lafferty's, said Mantla's last-minute decision to discharge his lawyers left her “upset.”
The move didn't sit well with Howe either, who said he thought the action was either “extremely smart or extremely dumb.”