Michael Lahay — who six months ago pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the brutal 2021 stabbing of his mother, Wendy — had a sentencing hearing in front of Superior Court Madam Justice Jill C. Cameron at the Barrie courthouse on Thursday.
In a joint submission, the Crown and defence agreed to a sentence of seven years for Lahay, who killed his mother inside her Monck Road home near Orillia after ingesting massive amounts of cannabis-infused edibles he had been taking for medical reasons.
According to earlier court proceedings, Wendy’s last words were that she still loved her son before succumbing to more than 30 stab wounds. In a cruel, symbolic irony, Wendy Lahay died around midnight as Valentine's Day was about to dawn.
Her son was originally charged with first-degree murder.
“(Various) factors were considered in pivoting to manslaughter from murder,” Crown attorney Sonny Dudani told the court on Thursday, adding the drug-fuelled “psychotic episode” sentence arrived at by both sides was supported by case law he cited to Cameron.
Lahey, 34, sat impassively in court as both sides worked through their submissions.
Cameron set a January sentencing date, where it is expected she will formally accept the sentence presented on Thursday. If that happens, Lahay will be immediately eligible for statutory release when enhanced credit for almost four years in pre-sentencing custody is considered.
Lahay has the full support of his family, including his stepfather, Paul Alexander, who he stabbed in the same attack. Alexander only survived because he was able to ward off his stepson by hitting him with a frying pan.
The killing of Wendy Lahay, who was 47 when she died, came after a spell where she had grown gravely concerned about her son, though some of those worries had subsided in the days before the fatal attack.
Cameron will formally sentence Lahay in Newmarket on Jan. 23.
