High court rejects appeal by Bobby Thomas for new trial in murder of Megan Gallagher

Saskatchewan's top court has rejected a Saskatoon man's bid for a new murder trial.

Bobby Thomas pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in December 2024, admitting to killing Megan Gallagher in September 2020.

In March, he appealed that plea and asked for a new trial.

In his notice of appeal, Thomas cited unspecified "Charter right violations," adding that he hoped "to have one last chance of having some kind of life with my four kids. They lost their mom to an overdose in Sept. 2024, so I wanna make sure they have one parent to go to, and I feel I haven't had a fair court case either."

Justice Neal Caldwell heard the appeal on June 11 and released a written decision two days later.

"Bluntly, the allegations made orally by his counsel in this matter are not only wholly unsupported by any evidence, they are, at least to some extent, dispelled or contradicted by the court record," Caldwell wrote.

Thomas suggested that he had gotten bad advice from his earlier counsel. Caldwell said Thomas' own words at his sentencing undermined this position.

"As is evident, the contention of improper pressure from his trial counsel is inconsistent with Mr. Thomas' own, unsolicited statement in his sentencing hearing that his first lawyer had several times attempted to arrange for Mr. Thomas to plead guilty to a lesser offence than second-degree murder."

Summer-Sky Henry, Roderick Sutherland and Cheyann Peeteetuce were all charged with first-degree murder along with Bobby Thomas. Henry and Peeteetuce pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Sutherland is set for trial later this year.

Thomas Sutherland was charged with manslaughter, but it was stayed.