'I forgive no one,' grief-stricken father of murder victim tells sentencing hearing

Daryl Bishop struggles to forgive the antheral who shot and killed his lad Alexander Bishop successful Saint John much than 2 years ago.

At times, helium feels he should forgive Zakkary Reed, 32, he said.

But helium is aggravated and tormented.

"This was not an accident," helium told Reed's sentencing proceeding successful Saint John Court of King's Bench connected Friday.

"My lad cannot beryllium replaced."

Reed was sentenced to beingness successful situation with nary accidental of parole for astatine slightest 25 years after a jury recovered him blameworthy Jan. 30 of first-degree execution successful the death of Bishop, 38.

Testifying successful his ain defence, Reed admitted shooting Bishop successful the chest on Aug. 20, 2023, but claimed it was successful self-defence.

Bishop was pronounced dormant astatine the scene, an flat astatine 170 King St. East.

Never got to accidental goodbye

A "precious life" has been stolen from the Bishop family, including Bishop's eight-year-old son, said Daryl Bishop.

"I conflict to hole myself with the words to archer my grandson … wherever his daddy is now," helium said, choking backmost tears, portion Reed, sitting successful the prisoner's box, kept his eyes downcast, showing nary emotion.

There volition beryllium nary father-son sportfishing trips for his grandson, nary accidental to person his begetter manager his shot team, Bishop noted.

"I've had times erstwhile I cried myself to slumber due to the fact that I was not capable to archer him goodbye, that I emotion him," helium said.

"All I tin bash present is instrumentality my lad a ample treble double [coffee] to his sedate portion I speech to him and look astatine him successful pictures," helium said.

"I americium and person been devastated by this senseless murder. For this, I forgive nary one."

Justice is 'a joke,' Reed says

Before condemnation was imposed, Reed stood and told the tribunal the thought that justness was being served was "a joke."

"It's lone much loss," helium said, referring to his girl "losing" her begetter and his parents "losing" their son, arsenic his mother, doubled implicit successful the beforehand enactment of the courtroom, sobbed.

"A beingness down bars is nary beingness to live," Reed said. "If thing Alex got the amended extremity of the deal," said Reed.

"So I'll  conscionable permission the court with — victims, aren't we all."

Loss of beingness 'immeasurable and unbearable'

Justice Kathryn Gregory told the tribunal that Reed, "after having texted his woman of his intent to sprout Alex Bishop successful the thorax with a shotgun … did precisely that." He changeable him astatine adjacent range, portion nether a tribunal bid prohibiting him from possessing immoderate firearms, she said.

The nonaccomplishment of a beingness is "immeasurable and unbearable," Gregory said.

"This explains wherefore specified a nonaccomplishment of beingness by a planned and deliberate execution justifies the maximum condemnation successful law," she said, referring to first-degree execution carrying an automatic beingness condemnation with nary anticipation of parole for 25 years.

With recognition for the clip helium has already spent successful custody, Crown authoritative Elaina Campbell said helium volition person to serve 23 years and 157 days earlier becoming eligible for parole.

Gregory noted Reed refused to enactment successful the interrogation process required for a pre-sentence report, truthful nary was prepared.

She besides imposed a beingness weapons prohibition order, ordered Reed to supply a DNA sample, and to person nary nonstop oregon indirect interaction with members of the Bishop family.

In addition, she sentenced Reed to 1 year, which volition beryllium served concurrently, for being successful possession of firearm portion prohibited from doing so.

Trial heard from eyewitness

The assemblage heard from 32 witnesses during the trial, which lasted astir 3 weeks and included several delays, astir of them caused by Reed.

He was the lone defence witness. 

Reed told the tribunal that helium was stateless successful August 2023 and Bishop, who besides didn't person a spot of his own, had invited him to clang astatine a friend's place.

Under nonstop examination, Reed testified helium was arguing with Bishop when Bishop stepped toward him, pointed a handgun astatine his look and yelled, "Let's bash this." 

"I felt similar helium was going to sprout me," Reed told the jury. "I was frightened for my life. … I didn't deliberation I was going to marque it retired of determination alive. So I reached down successful my luggage that was determination and pulled the weapon … and I changeable him earlier helium could sprout me."

Hanna Graham, 24, who described Reed arsenic her champion person and erstwhile boyfriend, witnessed the shooting. She testified that she was connected acerb that nighttime and doesn't retrieve much. Everyone successful the flat that nighttime was doing drugs, including meth and fentanyl, the assemblage heard.

Graham said she was successful a back country of the flat with Bishop erstwhile the doorway flew unfastened and Reed entered. He was "about 2 feet away" erstwhile he immediately changeable Bishop without saying anything, she said.

Graham was "trying to clasp [Bishop's] thorax together," but helium died. "I felt his bosom halt beating successful my hand."

Bishop's coiled measured astir 4 by 5 centimetres and resulted successful "significant" humor loss, according to the pathologist who conducted the autopsy.

Police responded to a 911 telephone soon aft 5:30 a.m. 

Reed was arrested wrong 4 hours. Members of the Saint John Police Force's exigency tactical services squad pulled implicit a cab that Reed was riding in.

Swabs taken from Reed's hands tested affirmative for gunshot residue.

Reed's DNA was recovered successful respective places connected a sawed-off shotgun that constabulary recovered successful an alley down the flat building, including the trigger, trigger defender and hammer, the assemblage heard.

A hoodie that tested affirmative for Reed's DNA besides tested affirmative for Bishop's blood.

In his connection to police, Reed changed his communicative respective times, the assemblage heard.

At first, Reed denied adjacent knowing the unfortunate and said helium wasn't anyplace adjacent the transgression country astatine the clip of the shooting.

Eventually, helium told pb researcher Det. Const. Duane Squires that helium was determination and that Bishop pointed a weapon astatine him, but helium repeatedly denied that helium changeable him oregon that helium adjacent had a weapon.