Crown wants couple to spend eight years in prison for horrific death of their son

Sentencing submissions will continue at a later date for the parents of a toddler who suffered burns, was emaciated and later died.

Warning: This story contains details of child abuse.

A Crown prosecutor is calling for a Calgary couple who killed their badly burned and emaciated toddler to spend eight years in prison.

Gabriel Sinclair-Pasqua had suffered burns to a third of his body and was emaciated at the time of his death in 2021.

Sonya Pasqua and Michael Sinclair pleaded guilty to manslaughter in December.

Prosecutor Vicki Faulkner said what the couple did was at the highest end of moral culpability and they saw the boy as a paycheque.

Faulkner said Gabriel went to a loving home where he was cared for shortly after being born, and then returned to his biological parents before suffering fatal abuse.

Eight victim impact statements were read in court on Friday morning, including a prayer from family, and statements from Gabriel’s great aunt and uncle.

Alice Finley and Gerry Bakoway’s home is where Gabriel spent his first 16 months of life, before returning to Pasqua and Sinclair.

“This was a baby boy without a mother or father and no family,” said Bakoway in his statement.

“When Gabriel became older, he was my little helper. He was my little man. He always had his little hands, helping me whether I wanted it or not.”

Bakoway said Gabriel loved to help him garden.

Bakoway recalled taking Gabriel’s crib apart the day before he would go and live with his biological parents.

“He saw that I was crying. He wiped away my tears and gave me a kiss and then helped me,” said Bakoway.

Theresa Jensen, Bakoway’s and Finley’s daughter, also had her statement heard in court.

“I am bitter. I have resentment and I don’t know what to do with the hate that I feel,” she said.

“I can’t understand how so many people failed him for putting our baby into the hands of strangers who Gabriel didn’t even know.”

Gabriel’s parents pleaded guilty to manslaughter in December.

Pasqua and Sinclair both have Indigenous backgrounds and Gladue reports were also submitted for the judge to consider in sentencing.

Gabriel died from blunt force head trauma, with a resulting brain injury, and from the untreated major burns leading to sepsis, according to an agreed statement of facts.

The burns were caused by hot liquid left pooling in his diaper.

Gabriel had several other injuries and was dehydrated and emaciated, with a severe infection in his mouth.

An agreed statement of facts said his parents didn’t seek medical attention and tried to treat the burns with honey before the child died from an infection and head trauma.

Pasqua and Sinclair were in the prisoners’ box on Friday, both shedding tears and looking at the ground.

The case continues Friday afternoon, with defence submissions for sentencing.

Justice Glen Poelman did not expect to hand down a decision on Friday.