A judge on Tuesday reserved his sentencing decision on parole eligibility for Robert Leeming after arguments from the Crown and defense.
The family of Jasmine Lovett and Aliyah Sanderson had read victim impact statements in court.
Jodi Sanderson, Aliyah’s grandmother, was emotional as she told the court “the pain is overwhelming.”
“Torture is the only word I can think of is how I feel,” he said. “I will always miss the love and joy Aliyah brought me.”
Leeming, 37, had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder of Lovett, 25, but not guilty in the death of 22-month-old Aliyah.
Leeming testified that Aliyah had fallen down some stairs in his southeast Calgary home and was later unresponsive.
He said he broke down when Lovett accused him of doing something to her child.
Leeming hit Lovett several times with a hammer before shooting her in the head with a rifle.
However, a judge found Leeming guilty of second-degree murder in Aliyah’s death, and he faces an automatic life sentence for both deaths.
On Tuesday, Crown prosecutor Douglas Taylor argued Leeming should get between 15 and 20 years on parole for Lovett’s death, but it should be maxed out at 25 years for Aliyah’s death.
“Mr. Leeming abused a power of trust with Aliyah and Jasmine,” Taylor told the court.
“The guilty plea (to Lovett’s murder) changed the way we prosecuted the case. Mr Leeming has admitted his guilt and is honored for that… It is an admission of remorse.’
The inactive, bearded man with short hair sat in the prisoner’s box wearing a gray sweater.
Defense attorney Balfour Der says he is seeking 20 years for his client’s eligibility.
“There’s no way of knowing what Mr Leeming will be like in 20 years,” he said.
“If we hold to the idea that the door to rehabilitation is open, we let the parole board make that decision. They’re going to have 20 years of evidence and data on how this man behaved in the criminal justice system.”
The bodies of the mother and child were found buried in a shallow grave in Kananaskis Country, west of Calgary, in May 2019 after being reported missing weeks earlier.
Leeming, who was found guilty in January, had his sentencing delayed while the Supreme Court of Canada debated and eventually overturned consecutive non-parole periods for multiple murderers.
Judge Keith Yamauchi says he will make his decision sometime between November 7 and 10.
He hopes both sides will meet on September 16 to set a sentencing date for that week.
“I don’t take it for granted, that I can just grab it off the bench,” Yamauchi said.
Yamauchi asked Leeming if he would like to say anything, to which he replied with a whispered “no”.
