Sanderson tried to kill one of the mass stabbing victims before, court records show

The prime suspect in the recent mass stabbing in Saskatchewan tried to kill one of the victims seven years ago, court records reveal.  

Those records say Myles Sanderson tried to kill his father-in-law, Earl Burns, in January 2015 by repeatedly stabbing him with a knife. He also assaulted another Burns family member. Sanderson was convicted and sentenced to two years less a day. 

Burns, 66, was among the 10 people killed over the weekend, police said Wednesday, in the rampage in James Smith Cree Nation and nearby Weldon, Sask. 

Burns was a veteran who served with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. In a tribute, Veterans Voices of Canada said he "gave his life to save his wife and grandchildren" during Sunday's attack.

Sanderson died Wednesday night after being taken into custody. 

The court records say Sanderson was also convicted in 2018 for trying to stab two other men in the First Nation with a cheese knife.

They also show a long history of intimate partner violence charges and convictions. Sanderson was first charged with assault against his partner in 2011. That charge was eventually dropped.  

A year later Sanderson was brought up on fresh assault charges for attacking her. He was convicted and handed 18 months probation and ordered to stay away from alcohol and drugs. He was also ordered to undergo counselling for anger management and domestic violence and to complete an addictions program.

He was charged again in 2013 for assaulting the same woman and stealing a car, after which he was handed another 18 months probation. Sanderson was once again ordered to stay away from alcohol and start addictions counselling.

New charges were laid against him for assaulting her again in 2015 and 2018. 

The records show that time and again he was ordered to stay away from the woman, to get counselling, and even to write her an apology.

In November 2017 he was charged in Regina with both assaulting someone and possessing a sawed-off shotgun. He was also charged on the same day with robbing a restaurant.  

He was found guilty of the assault and robbery but the weapons charge was dropped. Sanderson was sentenced to nine months and three years in federal prison, to be served concurrently.

It's not clear why he was still free in June 2018 when he assaulted an RCMP officer at James Smith Cree Nation who was attempting to arrest him. He was sentenced to 569 days in prison to be served concurrently with his other sentences.

After serving two-thirds of that sentence he was eligible for statutory release in August 2021. By November his release was suspended when it emerged he lied about staying with his ex-partner, in breach of conditions.

But in February the Parole Board of Canada lifted that suspension.

"It is the Board's opinion that you will not present an undue risk to society if released on statutory release and that your release will contribute to the protection of society by facilitating your reintegration into society as a law–abiding citizen," the board said in its decision.