Minto woman sentenced to 6 years in prison for killing boyfriend with baseball bat

A Fredericton-area woman will spend another two years in prison for fatally striking her boyfriend in the head with a baseball bat two years ago.

New Brunswick Court of King's Bench Justice Stephen Doucet sentenced Jodie Carrie Clark, 32, to six years in prison for manslaughter in the death of Alexander Ladds at his Maugerville home in October 2022.

As a result of remand credit she's accrued from time spent in custody since her arrest, she will only spend another two years and 29 days in a federal prison, Doucet said.

"This is a tragic situation fuelled by drug use, a volatile relationship, and mitigated by mental health" said Doucet, issuing his sentence at the Burton courthouse on Tuesday.

Police arrested Clark and charged her with second-degree murder after finding Ladds, who usually went by Andy, with a severe head injury in his Maugerville home in October 2022. He died a day later in hospital.

Clark was originally set to stand trial before a judge and jury, but in February pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Autopsy found skull fracture, brain bleed

According to an agreed statement of facts, paramedics and RCMP were dispatched to Ladds's home on Route 105 in Maugerville at 7:20 p.m. on Oct. 9, 2022, where they found him unresponsive and in critical condition.

He was taken to hospital, where doctors found his injuries were "not compatible with life." He was taken off life support the next day.

An autopsy found Ladds was struck with a blunt object on the left side of his head, fracturing his skull and causing extensive subdural hemorrhaging of the brain.

Clark had been living with Ladds at the time, and witnesses observed her leaving the area at 4:45 p.m. carrying a suitcase, backpack and a large cloth grocery bag.

Based on statements Clark's father, mother and friend gave to police, Clark admitted to killing Ladds using a baseball bat, which police found lying in the grass outside Ladds's home.

Evidence of volatile, drug-ridden relationship

Evidence uncovered by investigators after the homicide revealed Ladds and Clark had been heavily consuming drugs and weren't getting along in the days leading up to the killing.

Text messages indicate Ladds threatened to kick Clark out of his home, and that she felt he was taking advantage of her not having anywhere else to stay.

The two were arguing about Clark's desire to go visit her mother for Thanksgiving, with Ladds warning that she wouldn't be allowed back if she left.

In text messages she sent after the incident, Clark said Ladds was "threatening my mom" and "he won't hurt anyone anymore."

They had both been consuming about a gram of crystal meth every other day in the weeks leading up to the homicide. Clark also had underlying mental health issues that were exacerbated by her drug use.

Clark shows remorse

The main courtroom at the Burton courthouse was filled with more than a dozen supporters of both Ladds and Clark.

A total of 10 victim impact statements were submitted, and Crown prosecutor Rodney Jordan read from some of them, including from Ladds's daughter, Melissa McIntyre.

"She says that the murder of her father hit her like a foreign language — something she couldn't understand let alone feel," said Jordan, paraphrasing her statement.

"They had a broken relationship, but she held out hope they'd rekindle that relationship, but that opportunity is gone."

When allowed to speak before the court, Clark sobbed while saying she wished she'd never left her mother's house in 2022 to go live with Ladds.

"Your family would have never been changed forever, and I'm very sorry I can't change that and can't take that back and that's something I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life, and it's something you're going to have to live with for the rest of your lives and I'm very sorry," she said.

Factors considered by judge

In deciding the sentence, Doucet noted factors working in Clark's favour included the fact she pleaded guilty, her relatively young age, and her limited prior criminal history.

He said it also appears her actions weren't planned, and that he believes she's truly remorseful.

Working against her was that she left the scene without calling for help.

"Ms. Clark knew that Mr. Ladds was hurt after the blow, but failed to call for help and left. It is in that category which is objectively the most blameworthy," he said.

Earlier Tuesday morning, Jordan had argued Doucet should sentence her to about eight years in prison based on other cases he cited, while defence lawyer Alex Pate argued she should be sentence to four years in prison.

"Taking all circumstances into consideration, I find the degree of moral fault is in this case in the middle of the spectrum," Doucet said. "It's not in the realm of planning but neither was an accident."

In addition to her prison sentence, Doucet ordered Clark be subject to a lifetime prohibition against owning weapons, and to submit a DNA sample for the national databank.