Mother 'full of anger' over son's death, court hears

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The mother of a man allegedly murdered in 2022 said she’s still “full of anger” in the first victim impact statement regarding his death.

Susanne Breau spoke Wednesday in Saint John Court of King’s Bench during Dustin Trey Walker-Hammond’s sentencing hearing for manslaughter. Walker-Hammond, 25, was one of six people initially charged with murder in the death of Justin Breau on Aug. 17, 2022, and instead pleaded guilty to manslaughter in January.

Charles William Shatford, 49, Donald Robert Walker, 51, and Evan Louis Tobias, 29, are 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 Monday to charges of accessory after the fact to murder.

At the time of Justin Breau’s death, police 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. Breau told the jury in that case that he acted in self-defence after a drug deal went wrong, Brunswick News reported.

A publication ban covers any details from Walker-Hammond’s sentencing related to the events of Aug. 17, 2022. During the hearing Tuesday, Justice Kathryn Gregory asked questions about each lawyer’s sentencing position, and Walker-Hammond addressed the court, saying he’s “extremely remorseful.”

Crown prosecutor Elaina Campbell asked for five years in prison for Walker-Hammond, less credit for time spent in remand. Defence lawyer Anne Maltais asked for time served, which amounts to 632 days or about 21 months, with a lengthy period of probation. Walker-Hammond, the son of co-defendant Walker, has no prior criminal history, court heard.

Susanne Breau read her victim impact statement in Walker-Hammond’s sentencing, saying that she has struggled to cope and “left my job of 30 years” in the aftermath of the incident.

“I have yet to really grieve my son’s death, I’ve had to be strong for my grandchildren,” she said. “I am also full of anger. I will not rest or grieve until all involved are sentenced for their involvement in this brutal and senseless killing.”

Breau said two of her son’s three children were now orphans, one of whom’s mother died earlier in 2022. She said that they would have expected their father to be there for their big life events like graduation and marriage.

“I feel the pressure of needing to live, and have no control over whether I do or I don’t. It breaks my heart,” she said.

She said that her son was a “very sensitive and caring person” who made efforts to help others. She said he could be “rough and tough, but only if he was disrespected,” adding that he “had his haters but that boiled down to jealousy.”

Justin Breau had been arrested earlier in 2022 and pleaded guilty to drug possession days before his death. Susanne Breau said at the time that he had made the decision to get clean after his arrest.

Gregory said she’ll deliver her decision regarding Walker-Hammond on April 23. Sentencing for Boudreau and Belzil is set for April 5. Pre-trial evidence hearings for Shatford, Walker and Tobias are scheduled to run from March 15 to April 12.