UPDATE: 3 p.m.
Roxanne Louie含羞草研究社檚 killer is now behind bars, which means her family can turn their full attention to the child she left behind.
含羞草研究社淥ur focus is to make sure (her son) is raised properly, to know the difference between right and wrong,含羞草研究社� said Dan Wilson, Louie含羞草研究社檚 uncle.
含羞草研究社�(He will be) shown a lot of love and given a chance to experience a happy childhood, just like everyone should be given that right.含羞草研究社�
Creating that environment will be complicated.
Pier Robotti, 63, was sentenced Tuesday to 27 months in prison, less three months, for dumping Louie含羞草研究社檚 body down an embankment off a rural Naramata area road.
His older sister Grace, 67, was sentenced at the same time to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years for the Jan. 4, 2015 killing.
While they will be out of the picture for awhile, the child含羞草研究社檚 father and grandmother 含羞草研究社� Grace含羞草研究社檚 daughter and grandson 含羞草研究社� are now, and will continue to be, part of the child含羞草研究社檚 upbringing alongside Louie含羞草研究社檚 relatives.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e done the best we could so far for the sake of the boy,含羞草研究社� said Wilson, of how both families have been able to work together since the killing.
含羞草研究社淏oth sides have abided by the court含羞草研究社檚 wishes and we haven含羞草研究社檛 discussed the trial with him. Both sides of the family are doing the best we can to ensure the boy is going to have a healthy and happy childhood.含羞草研究社�
Their co-operation in the aftermath of devastating violence, he said, is the only thing that has gone well. Working together in a way that best meets the need of the child, however, will get harder as time goes on.
含羞草研究社淢y only thought is with (Louie含羞草研究社檚 son) 含羞草研究社� in this day and age with computers and stuff, he含羞草研究社檚 five-years-old now and he含羞草研究社檚 going to Google his mom含羞草研究社檚 death at one point and how are we going to deal with that?含羞草研究社� said Wilson.
含羞草研究社淲e are going to need a lot of counselling, a lot of help and a lot of community support to get through this.含羞草研究社�
That含羞草研究社檚 been something they含羞草研究社檝e found easily, thus far.
含羞草研究社淎ll through the whole trial, especially when the proceedings were in Penticton, people would come up, that we didn含羞草研究社檛 even know, and just offer their condolences and support,含羞草研究社� Wilson said.
含羞草研究社淚 had a little old lady show up outside the courtroom in Penticton and give the family a hug. In the Okanagan we have it pretty good here. It含羞草研究社檚 the best place in the world to live and generally people get along, so to have that kind of support is really encouraging.含羞草研究社�
The court process has also revealed darker elements of the community as well, with various online forums becoming a battle ground where racism often reared its head.
For the most part, Wilson said, he avoided it.
He did, however, think the Robottis actions were fuelled by racism. Louie含羞草研究社檚 belongings, for example, were strewn across Penticton Indian Band reserve land.
含羞草研究社淗ow they covered their tracks含羞草研究社� with the cell phone and things like that, they were purposely spread on the reserve,含羞草研究社� Wilson said. 含羞草研究社淚f that含羞草研究社檚 not racism, I don含羞草研究社檛 know what is.含羞草研究社�
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, who was also related to Roxanne, said the failings in the way the courts deal with violence against indiginous women were laid bare during the sentencing process.
含羞草研究社淚 found it very offensive on the part of the bench to describe the part that the (great grandmother) wouldn含羞草研究社檛 be there to see the child graduate when the mother is gone,含羞草研究社� Phillip said.
含羞草研究社淪he was brutally, savagely and deliberately murdered and her body was dumped in a very disrespectful way. And for the bench to share that narrative with the relatives was really insensitive and reflects, in my view, the bias in the way this case was handled.含羞草研究社�
The reason Canada has violence against women and violence against indigenous women and girls in particular, he said, is because the criminal justice system and the courts are 含羞草研究社渇ar too lenient.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 why this issue has been perpetrated and represents a national disgrace to this country,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚t will continue to be a national disgrace until such time that the courts deal with these cases appropriately. 含羞草研究社�
Louie含羞草研究社檚 family, he said, were left with a feeling of sadness, resignation and sense of helplessness when they heard the decision.
Wilson said they felt that way a lot through the trial. First, because they felt Grace should have been charged with first degree murder.Then when a second degree murder charge against Pier was dropped, and he pleaded guilty to indignity to a body.
Louie and her mother were 含羞草研究社渄ragged through the mud,含羞草研究社� he said and now the family will do what they can to make sure they含羞草研究社檙e remembered for who they actually were.
含羞草研究社�(Louie) was very loving,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淪he had moved on with her life, 含羞草研究社� her and (the boy含羞草研究社檚 father) had been split-up for a year and a half, nearly two years and she was enrolled in high fashion design classes and that含羞草研究社檚 why she moved to Vancouver. She was always drawing and doodling dresses, things like that. So, that was her dream.含羞草研究社�
Grace and Pier Robotti were taken away to serve their respective sentences following the court Justice Dev Dley含羞草研究社檚 decision.
含羞草研究社�-
UPDATE: 11:55 a.m.
Brother and sister Grace and Pier Robotti were sentenced Tuesday morning for their respective roles in the 2015 killing of Penticton含羞草研究社檚 Roxanne Louie.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Dev Dley agreed with the Crown and jury recommendation that Grace, 67, should be sentenced to 25 years behind bars with parole eligibility at 10 years. She was also sentenced to 27 months for the additional charges of indignity to a body, to be served concurrently.
Pier will spend an additional 24 months behind bars. Dley went with the joint submission of 27 months, less three months for time served, after Pier pleaded guilty to interference with a dead body in a trial that preceded his sister含羞草研究社檚.
Related:
More to come.
含羞草研究社�-
UPDATE: 11 a..m
Brother and sister Grace and Pier Robotti are set to be sentenced this morning for their respective roles in the 2015 killing of Penticton含羞草研究社檚 Roxanne Louie.
Crown counsel John Swanson is recommending Grace, 67, spend a minimum of 10 years behind bars before she is eligible for parole. Both Crown and defence counsel submit that Pier should spend an additional two years in prison.
Grace was found guilty of second degree murder. Pier had been charged with second degree murder, but the charge was stayed when he pleaded guilty to interference with a dead body in a trial that preceded his sister含羞草研究社檚.
Robotti killed Louie含羞草研究社攖he mother of her great-grandchild含羞草研究社攐n Jan. 4, 2015 by hitting her at least 26 times in the head with a small crowbar after an argument between the two had raged out of control.
Both have been out on bail until today含羞草研究社檚 sentencing.
Related:
Swanson submitted that Grace should serve 27 months for the charge of indignity to a body, to be served concurrently with her second-degree murder conviction of 25 years. Crown agreed with the jury含羞草研究社檚 unanimous recommendation of minimum parole eligibility at 10 years.
As for Pier, Crown and defence submit he should serve 27 months, less three months for time served.
Pier spoke in court Tuesday morning and said he 含羞草研究社渢erribly regrets含羞草研究社� what he did and is 含羞草研究社渟orry for含羞草研究社� his role in the crime. Especially for the pain he caused the Louie family in the week they thought she was missing.
The judge will return to the court with his decision at 11:30 a.m.
含羞草研究社�-
ORIGINAL: 6 a.m.
Grace and Pier Robotti are expected to be sentenced today for their respective roles in the 2015 killing of Penticton含羞草研究社檚 Roxanne Louie.
Grace, 67, has been found guilty of second degree murder. Pier had been charged with second degree murder, but the charge was stayed when he pleaded guilty to interference with a dead body in a trial that preceded his sister含羞草研究社檚.
Both have been out on bail until sentencing.
Robotti killed Louie含羞草研究社攖he mother of her great-grandchild含羞草研究社攐n Jan. 4, 2015 by hitting her at least 26 times in the head with a small crowbar after an argument between the two had raged out of control.
She told the jury, which she had taken responsibility for on Jan. 11, 2015, was an act of self defence. Louie, they were told, had a violent past and Robotti had been witness to flashes of it.
Crown counsel, however, pointed out that the sheer force used during a period that forensic evidence indicates Louie had been rendered immobile, was a sign that she wanted to kill the 26-year-old, thus meeting the standard for second degree murder.
During that trial, Pier told jurors that he intervened in a fight between his sister and the mother of her great grandson.
Louie, he told the court, was atop Grace and holding a crowbar. He tackled her, and they struggled on the floor. She, he told jurors, thrashed on the floor of the unlit room and he tried to subdue her by holding her arms.
He said he could hear his sister hitting her, but he didn含羞草研究社檛 know with what or how hard.
When Louie stopped moving he stood up to leave and put his hand in her blood. From there he knew something serious happened, but he left the room nonetheless.
He told jurors he left the room to attend to the child and when he returned 30 minutes later, Louie was covered with a blanket and his sister was cleaning blood.
含羞草研究社淲hen I first saw the scene I went outside and started chain smoking,含羞草研究社� Pier said.
When his sister joined him outside, he told her to call the police. Instead, she asked him to hide Louie含羞草研究社檚 body, so she could have time to get the child含羞草研究社檚 business in order. In particular, she wanted to get the child in the custody of her daughter, his grandmother.
含羞草研究社淪he said 含羞草研究社榓ll I ask you to do 含羞草研究社� is get rid of the body. Take my car,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 Pier recalled Grace asking him.
He slid Louie含羞草研究社檚 body down a slope off a remote road in Naramata. It was caught on some shrubbery and Pier followed it down, crossed Louie含羞草研究社檚 arms over her chest. He then offered some words.
含羞草研究社淵ou含羞草研究社檙e with your elders now,含羞草研究社� he recalled telling her for jurors. 含羞草研究社淵our son含羞草研究社檚 here and you can look down on them.含羞草研究社�
He then went home, and cared for the child while Grace continued on with what she was doing. He told jurors he thought she含羞草研究社檇 only need two or three days, but it took nearly a week for her to complete what she wanted to get done.
含羞草研究社淚 knew what I was doing was wrong and I含羞草研究社檇 be doing some time for it,含羞草研究社� he told jurors.
