Judge reserves decision on sentence in Weise case

Tearful statements at sentencing hearing Alesia Fieldberg reports on the sentencing hearing for Joshua Weise, the man who dismembered Joey English’s body.

A Calgary judge says he needs more time to come up with a proper sentence for Joshua Weise, the man who pleaded guilty to dismembering a First Nations woman's body last year.

Joshua Weise pleaded guilty to improperly and indecently interfering with or offering indignity to human remains in November in connection with the death of 25-year-old Joey English.

English, from the Pikani First Nation, died at a home in the 3900 block of 1 Street N.W.

Instead of immediately calling police, Weise decided to cut apart her body and dispose of it in several locations.

In June 2016, police were called to a grassy area near the intersection of Centre Street and Samis Road N.E. to check on the welfare of a person in the area.

Crews declared the victim dead at the scene.

The victim was soon identified as English, who had been reported missing by her family a day earlier.

Police, while not saying anything about English's cause of death, have said it was not criminal in nature. However, the way that Weise attempted to dispose of English’s body was.

Weise told the court that he and Joey were in a romantic relationship for a couple of days and had left her at the home to go on a drug deal. When he returned, he found her dead.

He said that he made the decision to attempt to dispose of her body so he could keep his kids, a decision that the judge called 'selfish'.

"What he does is selfishly think of himself instead of the victim in this case."

Officials say most of the cuts were made port-mortem, but the cause of death was undetermined.

Victim impact statements were read at the hearing on Friday too, with Joey's grandmother Patsy English saying that the loss of Joey has affected her health.

"I felt like I was going crazy, especially when I would come to Calgary searching for Joey on the streets."

Joey's mother, Stephanie English, said she is 'lost' without her daughter.

"I'm without my daughter. She was my best friend, my pillar and also a wonderful mother to her children."

The Crown is requesting two years for the indignity plea and further jail time for the breach of curfew charge.

Lawyers say aggravating factors include the appearance that Weise is not remorseful of his actions, going so far as writing a book about dismembering bodies after he was charged.

The defence didn't name a specific sentence, but requested that the judge consider the 315 days Weise spent in pre-trial custody, his guilty plea and the confession he made after his arrest.

Justice Dinkle, presiding over the case told the court on Friday that he will need more time to consider a sentence.