Manslaughter plea deal in North Bay fatal stabbing ‘a slap in the face,’ victim’s family says

An Ottawa man pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2021 death of a North Bay man following an incident at a New Year's party in the city.

A man charged with murder in a fatal stabbing in North Bay on New Year’s in 2021 pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter Monday morning in a North Bay courtroom.

Ghislain Nsengiyumva, from Ottawa, admitted to stabbing the 29-year-old victim to death in the early hours of Jan. 1 following two assaults and threats at a small party.

Because of a publication ban, the names of the victim and witnesses in the case can’t be published.

However, the plea deal didn’t sit well with the victim’s family and friends, who spoke to reporters outside the North Bay courthouse.

“This is just another slap in the face to all of us and any of us who lost somebody,” the victim’s mother said.

“This was my baby ... He’s not here. I’ll never get to see him again.”

An agreed statement of facts between defence attorney Mark Falovo and Crown prosecutor Michael Crystal said that on the night of the killing, Nsengiyumva brutally assaulted two women and threatened one with a silver utility knife.

Victims were treated in hospital

After he left the small New Year’s get-together on Gormanville Road, the female victims notified friends of what happened and went to the North Bay Regional Health Centre for treatment.

The stabbing victim was at the party where he learned what had taken place. He followed Nsengiyumva to the intersecting Jane Street near Pinewood Road, where they argued about the incident at the party.

Nsengiyumva then stabbed him three times. He later died in hospital.

North Bay police found Nsengiyumva at his girlfriend’s home on Bell Street, where he was arrested.

Originally charged with second-degree murder, Nsengiyumva pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Monday. While manslaughter can result in a life sentence, there is no mandatory minimum penalty unless a gun was used during the crime.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of assault, one count of assault with a weapon, threatening death or bodily harm and failing to comply with a release order.

“My client is very remorseful with the loss of life and he’s looking forward to the sentencing,” Falovo told CTV News after the proceedings.

“He has other issues to deal with and we’ll be dealing with those after.”

Her son mattered

But the victim’s mother said the justice system has failed her son in this case. She said the plea deal was made because the Crown had “more important cases to deal with.”

“The docket has been tied up because of COVID,” she said. “But to hear that (my son) didn’t matter -- he did.”

A pre-sentence Morris report has been ordered. A Morris report addresses the impact of anti-Black racism Nsengiyumva may have experienced.

In addition to his manslaughter case, Nsengiyumva has “immigration consequences” and has consulted with immigration lawyers.

The Crown told the court Nsengiyumva came to Canada on a refugee status but did not fill out the paperwork to be a “convention refugee.”

• Download the CTV News app now
• Get local breaking news alerts

Superior Court Justice David Nadeau adjourned the matter for sentencing, which is scheduled for Nov. 28 at 10 a.m.