Cape Breton woman gets 9 years in prison for manslaughter in death of Stephen Rose

Blair Rhodes · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 08, 2025 3:15 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

A Cape Breton pistillate has been sentenced to 9 years successful situation for her relation successful what a judge described arsenic a brutal, two-on-one onslaught that claimed the beingness of a 41-year-old begetter of four.

Jessica Anne MacDonald, 38, previously pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter successful the decease of Stephen Rose, who was stabbed 147 times and near for dormant successful a Sydney flat successful November 2019.

MacDonald's sentencing was conducted past December in Nova Scotia Supreme Court successful Sydney, but the decision was lone published this week.

In his sentencing decision, Justice Patrick Murray said while MacDonald was not the main aggressor and had urged her co-accused and Rose to halt fighting, she yet joined successful the attack, stabbing the victim. She did not telephone 911 oregon constabulary for help, helium wrote.

"At the outset it indispensable beryllium said this was an highly convulsive crime, a vicious weapon attack," said Murray. "In presumption of her involvement, I hold with the Crown that Ms. MacDonald's motivation culpability is high."

MacDonald has been successful custody since soon aft Rose was killed. With what's known arsenic "enhanced credit," she faces a small much than 15 months successful prison.

Argument turned into attack

Her co-accused, Joseph Frederick Evong, besides pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter past year. The 41-year-old was sentenced successful December 2024 to 12 years successful prison with recognition for clip already served.

Court antecedently heard that Evong and Rose started arguing aft each went separately to sojourn MacDonald astatine her flat connected Nov. 5, 2019. Both men had been drinking and carrying a knife, but it was Evong who initiated a weapon combat with Rose.

During the people of the fight, Evong handed MacDonald a three-pronged knife, which she past plunged into Rose's cervix and back. The autopsy study recovered that coiled "to beryllium of peculiar significance," said the sentencing decision. It besides noted that MacDonald cut disconnected Rose's finger.

According to a aesculapian examiner's report, Rose also had aggregate blunt unit injuries and his assemblage was recovered with a loop astir the neck.

"From the agreed connection of facts, it tin beryllium reasonably inferred that this was a lawsuit of sheer brutality," Murray said successful his decision. "The fig of stab wounds and incised wounds is indicative of the level of violence."

Rose had 'remarkable' power connected others: judge

There were 23 unfortunate interaction statements filed arsenic portion of MacDonald's sentencing hearing.

"What stood retired astir these, and each were unique, is however overmuch Mr. Rose was loved, counted connected for enactment and however overmuch helium is missed by friends, household and neighbours alike," the justice wrote.

"He was a father, a son, a brother, and a existent friend. The breadth of his power connected people's lives is remarkable."

A pre-sentence study said MacDonald has been diagnosed with post-traumatic accent upset since being incarcerated. She was antecedently diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Murray cited MacDonald's co-operation with investigators and deficiency of a transgression grounds arsenic mitigating factors successful the sentence. The determination noted MacDonald appears to beryllium a bully campaigner for rehabilitation.