Man who killed Edmonton senior handed life sentence
A man who killed an Edmonton senior more than six years ago was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday with the chance of getting parole after 13 years.
Gordon Shaw, 62, was convicted of second-degree murder in July for killing his friend, Bob Anderson in May 2011.
Anderson, 70, was found dead at his apartment around 65th Street and 128th Avenue after neighbours called police to say they hadn't seen him for several days.
In court Tuesday, Justice Sterling Sanderman told Shaw there were several aggravating factors in his decision to deny parole for 13 years.
"You left him to die, by himself, on his bed, alone." Sanderman said. "You left him."
Sanderman called the crime "a gross betrayal of hospitality and friendship."
In the first part of 2011, Shaw was out of work and Anderson let him stay at his northeast apartment.
Crown prosecutor Susanne Thompson recapped evidence from the trial, outlining the "unprovoked, senseless and callous," act on a man who was "elderly, innocent, vulnerable and defenseless."
Anderson had Parkinson's disease and mobility issues.
Anderson was asleep in bed when he was struck in the head with a blunt object, similar to a hammer, she said. An autopsy showed Anderson died of blunt force trauma to the head.
'Such a lovely guy'
Kristine Perrin was a neighbour and friend. She read a victim impact statement in court Tuesday, describing Anderson as a "beautiful soul" and a great friend.
"He had such a great impact on my life," Perrin said. "He was such a lovely guy."
They may not have been related, but Perrin considered Anderson family.
When Anderson moved into the building, they hit it off and talked every day, she said.
"He used to come in the house every morning, have coffee, tell me a whole bunch of stories [about] when he was in the navy," she said.
"[He] talked about his family, that unfortunately we could never find."
Anderson had an alcoholic past that ruined his family life, Perrin acknowledged.
"I just think maybe time had passed and many years had passed and they just didn't have any contact," she said. "It's unfortunate."
Perrin said she and her family go to Andereson's grave every year to lay flowers and reminisce about him.
Canada-wide warrant
Shaw never pleaded guilty.
He fled the crime scene in May 2011, got rid of the hammer and created a pattern of behaviour to cover his tracks, making up a false alibi later to trick authorities, Sanderman noted from trial evidence.
When he was arrested later, he told police Anderson had been a victim of a break and enter.
Shaw stayed in remand from Aug. 2011 to June 2013 when he was granted bail.
He jumped bail and a Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest. Authorities found he was living in Chase, B.C., under an assumed name, advertising his carpentry skills under the business name Bob the Builder.
A second-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence, with no eligibility for parole for a minimum of 10 years.
The Crown asked the judge to keep Shaw in prison for 15 to 18 years before he is eligible for parole.
Defence lawyer Cristian Manucci had called the Crown's submission a "death sentence" for his client. Manucci said Sanderman's sentence Tuesday was fair.
