Saskatoon teen who pleaded guilty to killing rival gang member sentenced as adult

A Saskatoon teen who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 2019 death of Winston Littlecrowis beingsentenced as an adult.

"I am satisfied a youth sentence would not be long enough to provide reasonable assurance of [his]rehabilitation to the point where he can be safely reintegrated into society," Judge Sanjeev Anandwrote in an 11-page decision.

The 17-year-old, who is now 20, is appealing the decision. As a result, he cannot be named because he was a youth when the crime was committed.

The ruling means the man facesa life sentence with no parole eligibility for seven years. He would also be on parole on release.Ayouth sentence would carrya maximum of seven years, divided intofour years in custody and three years of community supervision.

• Youth on trial in Saskatoon for 1st-degree murder in 2019 death of Winston Littlecrow

An agreed statement of facts detailed what happened Dec. 7, 2019, on Avenue X South.

The teen shot Littlecrow, 35, in the back outside a house in the 200 block of Avenue X South in Saskatoon after a woman who was at the housetexted him to come over and help kick out Littlecrow.

The teen and the woman werein the Terror Squad. Littlecrow was a member of the Indian Posse.

Littlecrow died on the way to hospital. The teen, originallycharged with first-degree murder,pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

To get the adult sentence, prosecutor Melodi Kujawa needed to establish the teen had "a substantial level of moral blameworthiness"and that a youth sentence would nothold him accountable.

Anand wrote that the offender poseda high risk for future violence, had a poor attitude toward making any significant changes in his life and took limited steps toward his rehabilitation.

Anand noted that passages from the teen's journal spoke to the question of his blameworthiness.

"Caught myself a Body now IM on my way to the penatentrieBut it's a good cause all black Till The Death of me," the teen wrote.

Anand saidthat this shows the teen appreciated the consequences of his actions.