The fate of a Trail youth charged with manslaughter will depend heavily on whether the Crown seeking an adult sentence can make his case.
The youth, who was 17 years old when he was arrested, appeared in Rossland Provincial Court Thursday when Judge Lisa Mrozinski scheduled a fix-a-date appearance in Castlegar for March 23.
Crown counsel Phil Seagram and defense lawyer Ken Wyllie have reached an agreed statement of facts on what occurred last spring, when a 25-year-old Trail man suffered fatal injuries sustained in an altercation before he was pronounced dead at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital May 15.
The judge awaits a pre-sentence report with a psychological component to determine whether the accused has a psychological or mental disorder or illness.
This will help her decide whether the accused should be handed an adult sentence for an intended guilty plea of manslaughter, which was downgraded from first-degree murder this winter.
The youth’s identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.