Man receives two-year sentence for manslaughter in Breau death

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One of six people charged in the 2022 death of Justin Breau was sentenced to two years less a day after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

Dustin Trey Walker-Hammond, 25, pleaded guilty in January to a charge of manslaughter. He was among six people initially charged with first-degree murder in Breau’s Aug. 17, 2022, homicide.

On Friday in Saint John Court of King’s Bench, Justice Kathryn Gregory sentenced Walker-Hammond to two years minus 708 days credit for time served in remand, amounting to 21 days remaining, plus two years of probation, according to his lawyer, Annie Maltais.

Charles William Shatford, 49, Donald Robert Walker, 51, and Evan Louis Tobias, 29, remain charged with first-degree murder and face a six-week trial starting in September. Travis Earl Boudreau, 34, and Sarah Jean Belzil, 37, pleaded guilty to charges of accessory after the fact to murder and each received a 12-month community sentence in April.

At the time of Justin Breau’s death, police initially said three masked individuals broke into his Charles Street apartment on Aug. 17 and fatally stabbed him before fleeing on foot. Breau had previously been found not guilty of second-degree murder in the 2019 shooting of Shatford’s brother, Mark Shatford.

A publication ban covers any details from Walker-Hammond’s case about the events of Aug. 17, 2022, except the facts of his guilty plea and sentence.

At Walker-Hammond’s sentencing hearing in March, the Crown had asked for five years prison, while Maltais had asked for time served for her client, who spent 472 days in jail and received 1.5 times credit for time in remand.

At the time, Walker-Hammond, who had no prior criminal record, told the court he’s “extremely remorseful.”

Breau’s mother, Susanne Breau, addressed the impact of her son’s death on herself and his three children, two of whom are now orphans. She said she was “full of anger” towards those responsible and called her son a “very sensitive and caring person.”

On Friday, Gregory addressed Susanne Breau’s statement, saying “no sentence … can address the pain and suffering” her family has felt in her written decision.

“This brutal killing has left many victims to pick up the pieces after such a loss,” the judge said, commending her for “courage and resilience.” Susanne Breau declined a request for comment.

Walker-Hammond’s probation conditions include orders not to communicate with Justin Breau’s family or any of the other co-defendants in the case, including his father, Donald Walker, who he may only contact with a probation officer, according to Gregory’s written decision. He is also ordered to abstain from drugs and alcohol, not to possess a weapon and to continue pursuing education in order to re-integrate himself into society.

“I believe that this was a good decision overall by the court, but it is a sad situation for everyone involved,” said Maltais, who said her client was “sincerely apologetic … and he’s remorseful.”

“We can’t forget that a person lost his life and there will be people grieving, including my client and his family,” she said.