Man convicted in Halifax homicide declared dangerous offender

A man found guilty of manslaughter last year in the 2013 death of Matthew Sudds in Halifax has been declared a dangerous offender.

A jury found Ricardo Jerrel Whynder guilty last May.

His co-accused, Devin Tyson Glasgow, was tried earlier that year on a charge of first-degree murder. A jury convicted him of second-degree murder.

Sudds was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head. His body was found along the side of Africville Road near Bedford Basin in Halifax. 

The dangerous offender designation is assigned to violent criminals and sexual predators who pose a high risk to commit violent or sexual offences in the future.

A judge decides whether to apply the label at a special type of sentencing hearing.

Justice Joshua Arnold gave his decision at the sentencing proceedings at the Nova Scotia Supreme Court on June 18.

In a written decision issued June 28,  Arnold said the Crown and defence put forward a joint recommendation for sentencing.

The judge noted that appellate courts have "consistently directed trial judges to follow joint recommendations unless they are contrary to the principles of justice."

The parties agreed that Whynder would be designated a dangerous offender and serve four additional years, bringing the total custodial sentence to almost 15 years.

Supervision order

Arnold ruled that Whynder would be subject to a 10-year supervision order once his custodial sentence ends.

The judge said he was satisfied that Whynder fit the requirements to be designated a dangerous offender after reviewing previous cases and the relevant Criminal Code sections. That included a pattern of past behaviour, Arnold said.

"There is no question, when considering Mr. Whynder's criminal record, along with his institutional records, that the most recent manslaughter conviction is part of a pattern of violent behaviour," Arnold said in his decision.