Blake Dooley gets life in prison for Gatineau hotel murder
An Ottawa man convicted of first-degree murder in the death of a woman at a Gatineau hotel will remain in prison for at least the next 22 years.
Blake Dooley, 56, was found guilty last month in the death of 25-year-old Christine MacNeil at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel on rue Laurier on Oct. 19, 2015.
Dooley was arrested in February 2016. He was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison with no chance for parole until 2041, including time served.
Justice Catherine Mandeville said Dooley will have time to think about "the senseless and brutal actions that caused her death."
In his brief remarks, Dooley said he's still processing what happened. "I reserve my right to be silent," he told the court.
'I can sleep better'.
MacNeil's family said they were satisfied with the sentence.
"I'm very emotional. It feels like it's over now," said her mother, Shari Garbutt. "I can finally put this to rest and I can sleep better."
Garbutt also thanked Gatineau police and the Crown's office for their work on the case and the support they offered her family over the last three years.
Dooley has been banned from possessing weapons for the rest of his life and has to submit a DNA sample to authorities.
Dooley already had a lifetime weapons ban after he assaulted someone with a weapon in Eganville, Ont., in June 1996.
MacNeil's ex-husband, Emilio Spezzano, is also charged with first-degree murder.
He's expected to find out in January when his trial will begin.
