Jannai Dopwell Bailey had no chance. Two attackers rushed at him with a knife. He was only 16 years old. A “violent and unfair” murder, according to judge Annie Émond, who sentenced Andrei Donet on Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 13 years.
“I’m pleased with the sentence. My son is gone. He will be remembered forever. I love him. I miss him. This is a life-saving victory for me. My son is always in my heart. He’s always with me. He’s in me at all times,” Charla Dopwell, the victim’s mother, said in a press scrum.
Asked about Andrei Donet’s lack of reaction during the hearing, Ms. Dopwell called the murderer a “demon.” The 21-year-old killer — who was 18 at the time — remained impassive, as always, as his sentence was imposed Thursday at the Montreal courthouse.
Last month, a jury convicted Andrei Donet of the second-degree murder of Jannai Dopwell in a Montreal schoolyard. In effect, he was sentenced to life in prison. It remained for Justice Émond to set the parole ineligibility period. The defence had hoped for 10 years, the minimum, while the Crown had hoped for 15 years.
The tragedy occurred on October 18, 2021, after classes at a high school located on Van Horne Avenue. Andrei Donet’s group was lurking near the school. Jannai Dopwell and his friends headed in their direction. Suddenly, pepper spray was thrown by one of the groups.
In a panic, Jannai Dopwell started running. He was caught by Andrei Donet and a 16-year-old boy. The two attackers stabbed the victim on the ground at least six times. The evidence does not determine who used the knife. The 16-year-old assailant was also found guilty of murder in the Youth Chamber. He has not yet received his sentence.
“It was a violent and unfair murder of two against one, against a boy inconvenienced by the gas and lying on the ground,” summarized the judge.
According to Judge Émond, the motive for the murder is “nebulous”, since the protagonists did not know each other. The judge was not convinced by the Crown’s thesis, namely that a conflict between the sectors of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and Côte-des-Neiges was at the origin of the case.
After the murder, Donet and the 16-year-old celebrated their crime by posting “happy mood” videos on social media. He then wrote rap songs on his cell phone that disparaged Jannai Dopwell. While in custody, Donet stabbed a fellow inmate 10 times, nearly killing him.
The judge took into account numerous aggravating factors to determine the sentence: the accused’s propensity for violence, the dramatic consequences on the victim’s family, the Instagram publications and the accused’s “glaring” lack of empathy. She also highlighted the “brutality of the attack, as the victim tried to flee”.
As mitigating factors, the judge noted the young age of the accused, the support of his family and his lack of criminal record of a violent nature. Given the high number of aggravating factors, the judge determined that a parole ineligibility period of 13 years was adequate.
Me Katerine Brabant represented the public prosecutor, then Me Martin Latour and Me Benoit Demchuck defended the accused.
