BATTLEFORD – The grief-stricken mother of murder victim Ryan Gatzke expressed her dissatisfaction with what she believes to be lenient sentences handed down to her son's killers.
June Gatzke, visibly distraught, spoke out Monday outside the Battleford Court of King's Bench following a joint sentencing submission for 28-year-old Jacob Ballantyne, one of three men and a youth charged in Gatzke’s October 2019 murder.
"It's an incredibly difficult struggle to accept that these individuals can rob someone of their life and receive nothing more than a mere slap on the wrist,” she said.
Ballantyne, from Edam, was charged with second-degree murder but entered a guilty plea June 12 to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Approximately 10 of Gatzke’s family members were in the gallery to hear Ballantyne’s sentencing hearing. About eight victim impact statements were read before the court and at times, several of Gatzke’s family members left the courtroom in tears. Ballantyne sat in the prisoner's box expressionless while the victim impact statements were read.
There is a ban on publication until all four accused have been sentenced.
In April, a trial was held for a young offender charged with second-degree murder. Following his trial, Justice Heather MacMillan-Brown found the youth guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter, break and enter, and possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order.
In October, Senior Crown Prosecutor Jennifer Schmidt will argue before the court to have the youth sentenced as an adult instead of a young offender. He can’t be named in accordance with the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
In February 2022, Charles Lewis McLean pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. With credit for time served while on remand, McLean had just over 600 days left to serve.
In February, Isaac Melko pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 12-years in prison. With pre-trial credit for time served on remand, he had about 7.8 years left to serve.
Ballantyne's joint sentencing submission proposes 2,922 days, or eight years, in prison less remand time. Ballantyne has been in custody for 1,124 days since his arrest in May 2020. This means he would be given 1,686 days credit for time served while waiting for his trial and would have 1,236 days, or 3.8 years, left to serve as of June 12.
Justice Daryl Labach reserved his decision until June 22 on whether he would accept the joint sentencing submission before the court. Ballantyne is represented by defence counsel Tim Nolin.
Outside of the courthouse, June Gatzky told reporters that coming to court for the appearances of the four accused in her son’s death is difficult.
“It rips my heart every time. It rips my heart every day.”
She said her son was working at two jobs to support his fiancé and the baby they were expecting. He owned the house where he was murdered.
“He had that house and he had a business going. He was a hard worker.”
RCMP found Gatzke in his home in the 100 block of 26 Street West in Battleford on Oct. 18, 2019. He was badly injured and taken to the North Battleford hospital by EMS where he was later declared deceased.
Story corrected to say it's Judge Daryl Labach.
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