Killer gets 12 years for shooting death of Joedin Leger in Moncton

Shane Magee · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 03, 2025 1:01 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

A Moncton antheral who changeable and killed an 18-year-old 3 years agone was sentenced Thursday to beingness successful situation with nary accidental of parole for 12 years.

Riley Phillips, 21, was recovered blameworthy by a assemblage past autumn of the second-degree execution of Joedin Leger connected April 25, 2022, successful Moncton. 

Second-degree execution carries an automatic beingness sentence. That near Court of King's Bench Justice Robert Dysart to determine however agelong Phillips should service earlier becoming eligible for parole.

The Crown sought 12 years, portion the defence asked for the minimum of 10 years, which is the play the assemblage had recommended aft uncovering Phillips guilty. 

The Crown alleged the sidesplitting happened successful the discourse of a location penetration and robbery attempt, portion the defence alleged Phillips went determination implicit a quality betwixt Phillips's cousin, Hunter England, and Leger. 

Dysart said determination was grounds to enactment the Crown's position, calling Phillips's ain grounds illogical, unthinkable and defying communal sense. 

"In my view, the circumstances of this case, arsenic good arsenic the quality of the offender, are a superior aggravating factor," he said.

"Mr. Phillips seems to person agreed to participate successful a brazen, equipped home-invasion robbery without hesitation. 

"He wore a motorcycle helmet to conceal his identity and helium carried a loaded .38 calibre revolver. That is concerning to this tribunal and suggests a heightened level of dangerousness." 

The parole eligibility play starts erstwhile Phillips was arrested successful June 2022, Dysart said.

Brian Munro, a lawyer representing Phillips, told reporters an entreaty volition beryllium filed, saying helium wouldn't beryllium amazed if the entreaty results successful a caller proceedings being ordered. 

Phillips was fixed the accidental to code the tribunal Thursday earlier the justice work his decision. 

"Nah, I'm good," Phillips said. He showed small absorption arsenic the justice work the decision. Phillips wore a Scarface movie T-shirt and overgarment during the hearing.

Crown authoritative Stephen Holt declined to remark Thursday.

Testimony during the proceedings laid retired that Phillips was 1 of six radical who went to Leger's Logan Lane duplex that morning. 

England and his member Jerek remained successful a car parked adjacent the home. Phillips, Hayden LeBlanc, Nicholas McAvoy and a idiosyncratic who was nether 18 and cannot beryllium named went up to the house. 

The younker was the Crown's cardinal witnesser during the trial, testifying that the program was to rob Leger and that Phillips was alert of the program and was handed the loaded weapon en route.

The younker testified that portion the radical of 4 were extracurricular Leger's home, helium heard Phillips spell inside — followed seconds aboriginal by a bid of gunshots. Phillips was the lone idiosyncratic who went inside.

The younker testified Phillips ran outside, saying Leger had changeable him but that he had changeable Leger four times. 

Testifying in his ain defence, Phillips said helium was asked to spell to Leger's location to benignant retired a quality betwixt Hunter England and Leger implicit breached windows. He said helium wore the covering and helmet to fell his individuality truthful Leger didn't retaliate. 

Phillips testified that wrong the home, Leger reached for a weapon and changeable first, truthful helium returned fire. 

WATCH | Video captures dependable of gunshots:

A neighbour's surveillance camera captured the radical walking toward Leger's home, the dependable of 2 shots astir astatine the aforesaid time, past 3 more, and past shows the radical moving backmost to the waiting car and leaving. Another operator gave the vehicle's sheet fig to police. 

The justice said that portion the assemblage recovered Phillips guilty and rejected his self-defence argument, it wasn't known what they determined astir whether they believed it was a robbery. 

He recovered determination was grounds to enactment the youth's testimony and rejected Phillips version. 

Dysart said the transgression had a profound interaction connected Leger's household and the wider community. 

As helium concluded his decision, Dysart addressed Leger's household members successful court, saying helium hoped the process helped bring them immoderate closure.

"I privation to explicit my sympathy for your loss. No condemnation imposed by this tribunal tin bring backmost your loved one," the justice said.

Phillips was the 5th idiosyncratic sentenced successful transportation with Leger's death. The youth, LeBlanc, McAvoy and Hunter England pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter. Jerek England is scheduled to basal proceedings adjacent year.