Former CFL player convicted of ex-girlfriend's murder won't be eligible for parole for 14 years
A former professional football player who was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend will not be eligible for parole for 14 years.
Joshua Boden, who once played with the Canadian Football League as a wide receiver, learned his sentence in a Vancouver courtroom on Friday.
Family and friends of the victim, Kimberly Hallgarth, sat in the front row of the courtroom gallery, at times crying and hugging one another.
Outside court, Hallgarth’s brother Jamie Errand said while nothing will bring his sister back, they are satisfied with the sentence.
“I’m very happy with the judge’s decision today. I think it was firm and fair,” he said. “The lack of remorse and admittance to the crime is really not that great, however that’s not me that has to live with that, that’s somebody else.”
Second-degree murder convictions come with an automatic life sentence in B.C., so it was up to the judge to determine when Boden would be eligible for parole. The Crown asked for 15 years, while Boden's legal team suggested 12 years.
Boden, 35, was found guilty last year of the second-degree murder of Hallgarth. The 33-year-old was killed in 2009 in the Burnaby, B.C., home she shared with her three-year-old daughter.
During Boden's sentencing hearing, the B.C. Supreme Court heard that Boden viciously beat his ex-girlfriend, choked her and then staged the scene in an effort to make her death look like an accident.
Justice Arne Silverman told the court that according to the Crown the “prolonged nature of the killing” was an aggravating factor, in which Boden stomped on Hallgarth’s neck and chest, and put pills and socks into her mouth before strangling her.
The Crown called her murder "blunt, brutal and horrific," with prosecutor Brendan McCabe describing her injuries as the most shocking he'd seen in his career.
McCabe told the court photos of her injuries she alleged stemmed from an assault by Boden were sent to then-coach of the B.C. Lions Wally Buono. The prosecutor said that Boden blamed Hallgarth for the end of his career.
The murder happened the year after Boden was released from the B.C. Lions, which he'd only signed with in 2007.
At the time of his release, he planned to play with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, but never played a regular-season game with the team. He was cut from the team.
Boden maintained his innocence through the trial process.
As Boden walked out of the courtroom with sheriffs, he said “have a good day.” It’s unclear who the statement was directed towards.
Errand said his sister had an infectious laugh, loved people, and treated friends like family.
“It’s a sad day, but you know again I have gratitude that I’m here and we finally have some closure,” he said. “She’s missed.”
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
NEW 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire': A crowd pleaser that turns it up to 11
Hot on the heels of last year's 'Godzilla Minus One' comes 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' the first ever Academy Award winner in the giant reptile's decades-long film career.