‘Remember my sister with compassion and respect’: Windsor family statement on guilty plea

Lesley Watterworth is seen in this undated photo. (Courtesy: Watterworth family)

Lesley Watterworth was just 42 years old when she was killed by her boyfriend.

Her family has patiently sat through dozens of court hearings, including a two-week trial in 2018, when John Wayne Pierre was convicted of second-degree murder.

“I would be honest in saying that we feel disappointed in how the justice system has handled parts of this process,” Bryon Watterworth wrote to CTV News Friday.

“It has been a long and painful journey, and at times, it has felt like our family has had to carry more than we should.”

Watterworth returned to court Friday to hear Pierre plead guilty to second-degree murder even though he was owed a retrial.

Pierre appealed his 2018 jury conviction and sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 15 years.

In an unexpected move, Pierre opted to plead guilty and avoid a second trial.

He was again sentenced to life in prison, but his period of parole eligibility was reduced to 10 years.

“Hearing that the person responsible may soon be eligible for parole is very hard to process,” Watterworth wrote.

Pierre will remain behind bars – in a minimum-security prison – until his parole is approved.

But he must first apply and prove to the Parole Board of Canada that he has taken responsibility, has worked to improve his life, and will no longer be a danger to society.

“We believe accountability matters, and we hope that any decisions made truly reflect the seriousness of what was taken from her, and from all of us,” Watterworth wrote.

“She was deeply loved, and she is missed every single day.”

As they process the most recent court decision, Watterworth says the family is leaning on each other to keep his sister’s memory alive.

“Our focus has always been on honoring her life — not just remembering how she died, but who she was as a person,” Watterworth wrote.

“We ask for privacy, and for people to remember my sister with compassion and respect.”