Fatal 2022 stabbing at Winnipeg beer vendor was 'gratuitous violence,' judge says at sentencing

A man who fatally stabbed a Sagkeeng man outside a Winnipeg beer vendor in 2022 has been given a 12-year sentence for manslaughter.

"Any time there's a killing, there's a void that's left that can never be completely healed," Manitoba Court of King's Bench Judge Gerald Chartier during a Wednesday sentencing hearing for Cecil Vance Roulette, 39, referencing the 22 victim impacts submitted by family and friends of the victim, 29-year-old Enrique George Courchene.

Chartier said according to the forensic pathologist who testified in court, Courchene's death was caused by a stab wound to his heart. He also suffered several other stab wounds.

"The sentence should reflect society's abhorrence for that type of violence," he said.

Roulette had been charged with second-degree murder in Courchene's death, but was convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter by a jury in November.

Two other men — Calvin Harvey Maytwayashing and Jade Allen Dumas, both 26 when they were charged in 2022 — were also charged with second-degree murder, but were found not guilty.

According to security footage submitted at trial, Roulette stabbed Courchene multiple times after a physical altercation between Courchene's brother, Ernesto Courchene, and Dumas outside a beer vendor on Arlington Street, near Logan Avenue, on Sept. 24, 2022.

Court heard Dumas threw "a violent punch" to Ernesto Courchene's face in response to threats made toward members of the group, which caused him to fall to the ground. 

Chartier said the video appeared to show Dumas approach Ernesto with his arms extended to help him back to his feet after he hit him, but Roulette had reached down and cut a chain from Ernesto's neck.

That "reignited the altercation, which looked like it might be coming to an end," said Chartier.

"He did not pull out his knife to defend himself, but instead used it in an aggressive way," the judge said.

Enrique Courchene saw his brother on the ground and jumped in to defend him. He and Roulette fell as Courchene punched him, court heard.

As both started getting up, Roulette stabbed Courchene a total of nine times, Chartier said, including eight stabbings to the chest in the span of about 22 seconds.

"The last stab wound … was gratuitous violence," said Chartier.

Courchene was rushed to hospital in critical condition, but was pronounced dead shortly after.

Wishes 'he could undo what he did': judge

The defence argued that Courchene was wounded by random flailing motions, but Chartier found the wounds to be caused by stabbing motions.

Courchene did not appear to punch Roulette after an "initial flurry of punches" at the outset of the fight, and the camera footage didn't appear to show a struggle for the knife, the judge said.

The defence had also claimed Roulette and the men were fearful Courchene was about to get a gun from a truck parked near the beer vendor, but Chartier said he did not see any signs of intimidation, and he did not accept the defence's argument Roulette was scared for his life.

Aggravating factors in sentencing included the fact Roulette was the only person who was armed in the fight, and took out the knife for an "aggressive purpose" — rather than to protect himself — and used it "indiscriminately in an ensuing altercation," Chartier said.

Mitigating Gladue factors — systemic and background factors that affect Indigenous people and can impact sentencing — included dysfunction in Roulette's family home, a home environment of alcoholism, a family history with residential schools, and a history of diagnosed depression, the judge said.

Roulette lived in Winnipeg but is from Gaa-ginooshkodeyaag, also known as Long Plain First Nation.

"I also accept that Mr. Roulette is remorseful for what happened," said Chartier. When Roulette addressed the court and apologized, he said he wished Courchene was still alive and that "he could undo what he did," the judge said.

Roulette had a prior conviction for aggravated assault in 2005, for which he served 34 months. Chartier said because of the long gap between that conviction and Courchene's stabbing, he didn't agree with a pre-sentence report that said Roulette is considered a high risk to reoffend.

"I find that his rehabilitative prospects are good," said Chartier, but the gravity of the offence required a higher sentence.

"Enrique Courchene's life was taken away from him."