Nanaimo man sentenced to life in prison for murder of woman in Brentwood Bay
Warning: This story contains graphic details.
A Nanaimo, B.C., man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a woman in Brentwood Bay in 2019.
Alan Charles Chapman was sentenced for the second-degree murder of Emily Caruana at the law courts in Victoria on Monday.
He also received two seven-year sentences for two aggravated assaults during the same attack. All three sentences will be served concurrently.
He is ineligible for parole for at least 18 years.
'UNIMAGINABLE VIOLENCE'
The attack occurred in the early hours of May 12, 2019, at a home along Meadowlark Lane in Central Saanich.
Caruana was visiting her grandmother at the home from the Lower Mainland, along with her boyfriend, uncle and young cousin.
The court heard that at 12:30 a.m. that night, the peaceful slumber of the residential street was "shattered" when Chapman broke into the home thinking it belonged to another person whose identity is protected under a publication ban.
Chapman burst into the home and immediately headed up the stairs where all of the bedrooms were located.
Police investigating murder in Central Saanich. May 13, 2019. (CTV News)
The noise awoke Caruana's uncle and grandmother who confronted Chapman.
The court heard that Chapman asked "where are the knives?" before entering the kitchen and grabbing a large chef's knife.
He then set off for the room where Caruana and her boyfriend, Justin Booth, were sleeping.
Caruana's uncle, John Caruana, attempted to stop Chapman but was stabbed several times, leaving him seriously injured and requiring a multi-day stay in the ICU.
Chapman then entered the bedroom where Caruana and Booth were staying and attacked the couple. Booth had a brief engagement with Chapman before he was also stabbed, resulting in serious injuries that required intensive care in hospital.
Chapman then stabbed Caruana 38 times, the court heard.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Saunders described the attack as an "act of unimaginable violence" with the traumatic events still impacting the victims and their families.
The injuries that Booth and John Caruana received will also have lifelong effects, including the loss of Caruana's right kidney and the loss of mobility in one of Booth's hands.
'I AM TRULY SORRY'
Chapman was arrested as he fled the scene, driving back to his home in Nanaimo that evening.
Police deployed a spike belt to stop his vehicle, and at the time of the arrest Chapman – who was impaired by drugs – still seemingly believed he had killed his intended target and not Caruana.
He was charged with first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault. In August, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and both assaults.
On Monday, Chapman addressed the court, expressing remorse and apologizing to the family.
"In this tragic set of circumstances there's nothing I can do to relieve your pain as a family," he said.
He added that there was nothing he could do to earn their forgiveness, and that he didn't expect any.
"I am truly sorry for what happened," he said. "All I can do is offer my guilty plea to bring closure to the court process."
'AN ENORMOUS HOLE'
When delivering the sentence, Saunders said that Caruana's death was a "shattering blow" to her family and friends.
The attack also left the victims and their relatives with lifelong physical injuries and emotional trauma that Saunders said would "no doubt" continue indefinitely.
He added that the loss of Caruana, 20, left "an enormous hole" in the lives of her family.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.