A Saskatoon judge has scheduled a sentencing hearing for a man convicted in the death of Megan Gallagher, while ruling that testimony from a key witness who pleaded guilty to murder will not be considered due to concerns over credibility and drug impairment.
Judge Rejects Key Witness Testimony
On Friday, Justice John Morrall of the Saskatoon Court of King's Bench heard submissions from Crown and defence lawyers regarding the facts to be considered before sentencing Roderick William Sutherland. The judge concluded he could not rely on the testimony of Robert "Bobby" Thomas, who had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the same case.
Thomas testified during Sutherland's jury trial that Sutherland admitted to hitting Gallagher with brass knuckles. However, Justice Morrall noted Thomas had previously lied about the incident, was high on methamphetamine at the time, had an undiagnosed mental illness, and had been awake for ten days straight using illicit drugs. "I simply cannot rely on the accuracy of anything he says primarily due to that level of impairment," Morrall stated.
Case Details and Convictions
Instead, the judge will rely on a statement Sutherland gave to police in 2021 before he was charged. In that interview, Sutherland told police that Gallagher was killed in his garage but claimed he did not know who was responsible.
A Saskatoon jury convicted Sutherland in October of manslaughter, unlawful confinement, and committing an indignity to human remains. The charges stem from the death of 30-year-old Megan Gallagher in September 2020. She was confined, beaten, and wrapped in plastic in a garage on Weldon Avenue in the King George neighbourhood, a property belonging to Sutherland.
Gallagher was last seen by her family on September 19, 2020. She remained a missing person for two years until her remains were discovered along the bank of the South Saskatchewan River near St. Louis on September 29, 2022.
Sentencing and Other Co-accused
Lawyers are scheduled to return to court on April 13 for sentencing submissions. Sutherland was one of nine people charged in connection with Gallagher's death and was the only one who proceeded to trial.
Among the others charged, Summer-Sky Jodylynn Henry and Cheyann Chrystal Peeteetuce pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received seven-year sentences. Jessica Faye Badger, John Wayne Sanderson, and Ernest Vernon Whitehead were sentenced for offering an indignity to human remains for their roles in disposing of Gallagher's body.
