Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
National

Full Parole For Man Convicted In Mayerthorpe RCMP Shooting Deaths

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 12 May, 2015 12:49 PM
    EDMONTON — A man convicted for his role in the shooting deaths of four Mounties in rural Alberta has been granted full parole effective immediately.
     
    The Parole Board of Canada says Shawn Hennessey has been functioning well since he was allowed to live in a halfway house last fall.
     
    The parole board emphasized that it could be difficult for Hennessey back in his home community where some people may not make him welcome.
     
    Hennessey, 35, said he understands that and will be able to deal with it.
     
    The parole board did include some conditions in its decision. Hennessey is not to contact any members of the victims' families nor is he to travel to Lac la Biche, Alta. The mother of one of the RCMP officers lives there and she requested Hennessey not be allowed into the town.
     
    There were no relatives of the constables present at the hearing in Edmonton.
     
    Hennessey and his brother-in-law, Dennis Cheeseman, pleaded guilty to manslaughter for giving James Roszko a gun and a ride to Roszko's farm near Mayerthorpe in 2005.
     
    Constables Peter Schiemann, Anthony Gordon, Brock Myrol and Leo Johnston had been guarding a Quonset hut on Roszko's farm.
     
    Roszko ambushed and killed the officers before killing himself.
     
    Hennessey was sentenced in 2009 to 10 years and four months and Cheeseman was handed seven years and two months. They both lost court appeals arguing for shorter sentences.
     
    Cheeseman was granted statutory release in 2013 after serving two-thirds of his sentence. He later pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance for having prescription drugs that were not in his name. He was fined $1,000.
     
    Hennessey applied for early parole in 2012, but was denied. He was later granted unescorted, temporary absences to visit his family. He has a wife and two daughters.
     
    Hennessey told the parole board last year that he wanted to honour memories of the fallen officers by proving that he's turned his life around.
     
    "I will prove I am a different person, that these things will never come from Shawn Hennessey again,'' he said.
     
    "It will bother me for the rest of my life. The hurt I have caused for so many people will never go away."
     
    The board noted at the time that Hennessey had taken responsibility for his actions and shown empathy for his victims. It heard that Hennessey had completed his high school equivalency diploma while behind bars and been offered a construction job in the area of Barrhead, Alta., where his family lives.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Stephen Harper's Boastful Hockey Bet Outshone Many Other World Leader Tweets

    Stephen Harper's Boastful Hockey Bet Outshone Many Other World Leader Tweets
    OTTAWA — Plenty of diplomatic deals get done on the margins of global get-togethers, but one conducted on Twitter in 2014 made Prime Minister Stephen Harper a digital star among his fellow world leaders.

    Stephen Harper's Boastful Hockey Bet Outshone Many Other World Leader Tweets

    Longtime Canadian Swim Coach Randy Bennett Dies Of Cancer At 51

    Longtime Canadian Swim Coach Randy Bennett Dies Of Cancer At 51
    VICTORIA — Longtime Canadian swim coach Randy Bennett, who helped Victoria's Ryan Cochrane reach the podium at the last two Summer Olympics, has died.

    Longtime Canadian Swim Coach Randy Bennett Dies Of Cancer At 51

    Deloitte Study Says Few Canadian Businesses Ready For Next Wave Of Tech Change

    Deloitte Study Says Few Canadian Businesses Ready For Next Wave Of Tech Change
    TORONTO — A new study by Deloitte has found that most Canadian companies aren't prepared for how quickly they'll be affected by major advances in technology such as robotics and artificial intelligence.

    Deloitte Study Says Few Canadian Businesses Ready For Next Wave Of Tech Change

    Frustration For Canadians Seeking Help Following Nepal Earthquake

    Frustration For Canadians Seeking Help Following Nepal Earthquake
    Canadians in Nepal and relatives of missing Canadian tourists are expressing frustration with Canada's response to Saturday's massive earthquake, with some complaining they're getting more support from American officials than their own.

    Frustration For Canadians Seeking Help Following Nepal Earthquake

    Internal Senate Report On Residency Surfaces At Duffy Trial But No Details

    Internal Senate Report On Residency Surfaces At Duffy Trial But No Details
    OTTAWA — Mike Duffy's lawyer is considering whether to fight for the release of a politically sensitive audit that the Senate wants kept under wraps.

    Internal Senate Report On Residency Surfaces At Duffy Trial But No Details

    Auditor Takes Aim At First Nations Health, Prisoners And Tax-Credit Oversight

    Auditor Takes Aim At First Nations Health, Prisoners And Tax-Credit Oversight
    Canada's auditor general is taking issue with the quality of health care in remote First Nations communities, lacklustre efforts to rehabilitate prisoners and the dearth of oversight governing boutique tax credits

    Auditor Takes Aim At First Nations Health, Prisoners And Tax-Credit Oversight