The defendant, who pleaded guilty to murder, was sentenced to 9 years in prison

A man who held a flare to another man’s mouth to scare him and fatally injured him when the flare was fired was sentenced to nine years in prison on Friday.

George Thurrott, 59, pleaded guilty at a supportive accommodation facility in Victoria on Friday to manslaughter in the death of Royburne Osmond, 59, who died in hospital on March 24, 2020, eight days after the incident.

Crown Prosecutor Chandra Fisher said Osmond lived at 3020 Douglas St., as did his common-law wife, who lived in a separate unit in the building. He said he lived in the old Tally Ho motel at .

Defense attorney Sarah Runyon said Thurrott believed Osmond was stealing from him and wanted to scare him to stop.

Fisher said that while at Osmond’s unit, Thurrott used one arm to pin Osmond against the wall and grabbed the flare gun with his other hand and put the barrel into Osmond’s mouth.

The flare gun was fired and the flare was fired into Osmond’s mouth, hitting the back of his throat and “leaving a trail of burning chemicals,” he said.

The flare came out of Osmond’s mouth and ricocheted into the room and under the door, Fisher said. The room filled with smoke.

Video played in court from the corridor outside the unit showed what appeared to be an explosion inside the room, with a burst of light coming from the unit and smoke raining into the lounge.

Osmond and others in the room ran into the hallway, and Thurrott tried to pull Osmond back into the room, Fisher said. Osmond collapsed in the living room.

A staff member at the facility saw blood flowing from Osmond’s mouth. Fisher said he said in a “muffled and slurred voice” that Thurrott had shot him.

Osmond was taken to hospital and later died. The wound to his throat cut off blood flow to nearly half of his brain, Fisher said.

Thurrott was arrested in Mississauga, Ontario, on April 8, 2022, and was initially charged with second-degree murder.

“The real issue in this case was what was the intent, and because of the various negotiations and discussions with defense counsel regarding that intent, that’s why we filed a manslaughter plea,” Fisher said.

In a victim impact statement read by Crown prosecutor Nick Melling, Osmond’s wife said she felt “profound physical pain” after losing her partner of 35 years.

“I miss you, Roy. We had a life planned together. We were getting married. Our children were all grown and our years of hard work were about to pay off. We were supposed to spend our golden years together. Now I’m alone and my heart is forever broken without you.”

Runyon said Thurrott had an unstable upbringing in Nova Scotia that exposed him to substance abuse, sex work, violence and criminal behavior. Between the ages of three and eight, she was sexually abused by her mother’s partner. He said he was introduced to illegal substances by his mother and first used them when he was eight years old.

Thurrott has the support of his 27-year-old daughter, who submitted a letter describing the improvements she has seen since her father’s incarceration.

“My father faced significant challenges with substance abuse. Despite his challenges, I have witnessed a remarkable transformation in him over the past two years,” Runyon said, reading the letter. “His current behavior and actions reflect his sincere commitment to recovery and a healthier lifestyle. “My father has devoted himself to improving himself since the day he was detained.”

Runyon said Thurrott’s remorse for Osmond’s death was clearly palpable.

Thurrott spoke briefly and said he was sorry to Osmond’s family.

“I can’t change what happened, but I’m definitely sorry and I’m sorry for what happened that day,” he said.

Provincial court Judge Adrian Brooks accepted the joint sentencing offer from Crown and defense attorneys, which recommended nine years. With credit for the time that has passed since his arrest, Thurrott will remain in prison for a further five years and two months.

Brooks said Thurrott’s upbringing gave him few opportunities to succeed in life.

“When I heard about these circumstances, I was surprised to some extent that his criminal record wasn’t longer and more serious than it was,” Brooks said.

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