Support for Public Protest at Charlottetown Courthouse

The PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women supports the community's efforts to protest the plea bargain and recommended short sentence for Fred Sheppard. With the leadership of Marcella Bradley from Cardigan, the voices of outraged Islanders were heard at the noon protest at the Courthouse in Charlottetown today.

Frederick Francis Sheppard was charged last December with the brutal murder of his common-law partner, Kimberly Byrne. Sheppard recently pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter as a result of plea bargaining with the Crown Attorney. The acceptance of a guilty plea to a lesser charge and the joint recommendation for a sentence of 10 years sends a shocking message that the system will show leniency to offenders in cases of domestic violence.

"If this recommendation is accepted by the Chief Justice," states Advisory Council Chairperson Patricia Roy-Ballem, "Sheppard could be released on parole before he has even finished serving 3 ½ years for brutally beating his partner to death. The Advisory Council is appalled that a crime of such a violent nature could be reduced to this degree."

Contact: Cheryl J. Dalziel, 368-4510