A British Columbia man convicted of killing a stranger on a street in Banff will not serve more time in prison, a Calgary judge ruled this week.
Judge Imposes Conditional Sentence
On Wednesday, Justice Johanna Price sentenced John Sproule to a two-year conditional sentence to be served in the community. The sentence is for the manslaughter of Ryden Brogden, a resident of Priddis, Alberta. The fatal altercation occurred on September 3, 2022, on Banff Avenue outside the Dancing Sasquatch bar.
The Crown prosecutor, Mykel Long, had argued for a prison term of five to six years. However, Sproule's defence lawyer, Cory Wilson, successfully contended that further incarceration was unnecessary. Justice Price had previously determined that the jury must have concluded Sproule was defending himself but used excessive force.
The Night of the Deadly Altercation
The court heard conflicting accounts of how the violence began. A friend of the victim, Howard Pearce, testified that Sproule approached Brogden and demanded his last cigarette. When Brogden refused, Pearce claimed Sproule threatened, "Do you want to get (expletive) shanked?"
Justice Price rejected this version of events, citing inconsistencies in Pearce's evidence. Instead, she found the following facts based on the jury's verdict:
- Sproule asked Brogden for a cigarette.
- Brogden responded by pushing and then sucker-punching Sproule.
- A physical fight ensued, with Brogden gaining the upper hand, throwing Sproule to the sidewalk.
- During the fight, Brogden said words to the effect of "I'm going to kill you" and "you are (expletive) dead."
It was at this point that Sproule, now 23, pulled a work pocketknife from his jeans. He began swinging wildly at Brogden, stabbing and slashing him 19 times. Brogden died from his injuries.
A Tragedy With No Undoing
In delivering the sentence, Justice Price acknowledged the profound loss caused by Brogden's death. She addressed a packed courtroom, stating that no punishment could reverse the tragedy.
"The loss of a life is not measured through the sentence imposed," Price said. "It could never be."
Sproule had already spent 98 days in remand prior to sentencing. The conditional sentence means he will serve his time under strict supervision in the community, not in a correctional facility. The judge's ruling underscores the legal finding that while Sproule's actions were disproportionate, they occurred in a context where he believed he was under a lethal threat.
