A sentence handed down in Vernon, B.C., court last week has deeply angered the father of the boy who died.
“How can you possibly give that kind of a sentence to the loss of an eight-year old boy,” said Mackenzie, whose last name we are using to protect the identity of his son.
“This isn’t justice, I want people to be upset about this, I want people to remember my son.”
The Okanagan boy died in the spring of 2020.
His mother, Keisha McCrea, was in Vernon court on Thursday on a charge of failure to provide the necessities of life .
She pleaded not guilty and instead pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm, which means she will not serve any jail time.
McCrea and her boyfriend Brian Chcuik were the sole caregivers of the boy and lived in Lumby at the time.
Chuick was also originally charged with failure to provide the necessities of life but the charges were stayed by Crown.
“People charged with far lesser crimes get far harsher sentences and this is just wrong,” Mackenzie said.
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Court heard of several incidents involving the child including one on April 4, 2020, when the boy was pushed outside after soiling himself.
He hit his head and had to be air-ambulanced to Kelowna General Hospital, where he died the next day.
His father says his son’s death is a clear case of abuse.
“What’s the other cause? Give me another reason why,” Mackenzie said as to why his son died the day after being pushed outside. “That’s not enough evidence for anybody to pursue anything more?”
In a statement to Global News the BC Prosecution Service stated that, “court acceded to the joint sentencing submission of Crown Counsel and defence counsel and imposed a 12-month conditional sentence order, which includes a condition of house arrest and various other conditions, including a requirement to perform 80 hours of community work service by July 31, 2025.”
The boy’s father is calling on changes to the justice system so that no other family has to endure this kind of tragic outcome.
“I want change. I want justice. I don’t want other kids to suffer. I don’t want other families to think they can do these kinds of things and get away with it,” he said.
Mackenzie remembered his son as an imaginative, good and shy child — one he can’t believe he’ll never see again.
“I wake up every day and dread the thought. I go to sleep every night thinking about him,” he said.
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