Sentencing begins for men who killed Metchosin man with hammer

The Victoria Courthouse is shown: (CTV News)

Victoria -

The sentencing hearing has begun in a Victoria courtroom for two men who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of a Metchosin man three years ago.

Nathan Monsour and Lee Hart were originally charged with second-degree murder after Shawn Campbell was attacked with a hammer in the middle of the afternoon on Sept. 29, 2018. The two men pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the conclusion of a preliminary inquiry in to Campbell’s death in March 2021.

Lawyers from the Crown opened Tuesday's provincial court proceedings by presenting a statement of facts agreed to by the Crown and defence regarding the death of Campbell.

Crown lawyers told the court that the attack on Campbell was an "act of vengeance" by Monsour and Hart and was "to teach the victim a lesson" for a reported assault by Campbell on his wife on Sept. 25, 2018. Campbell was arrested for the assault on his wife and was subsequently released on the condition that he have no contact with her.

After the alleged assault on his wife, Campbell went to live with his friend Neil Albrecht on Carey Road in Saanich. It was in the driveway of Albrecht’s Saanich home that Campbell suffered serious injuries from hammer blows by Monsour and Hart.

Both Campbell and Albrecht were in the process of packing Albrecht’s car for a move to another residence at the time of the attack. The statement of facts in the case indicate Albrecht saw Hart and Monsour came down the driveway with hammers and attack Campbell.

The statement of facts says Albrecht tried to stop the attack on Campbell and was also hit with a hammer, injuring his arm. The statement goes on to say that Albrecht reported hearing a voice say, "That’s what you get for beating your wife."

The statement goes on to report that after the attack, Hart and Monsour got in to Monsour’s truck and drove away from the Carey Road home. Crown lawyers told the court that the beating suffered by Campbell "lasted less than a minute."

The 41-year-old Metchosin salvage business owner was struck in the back of the head and over his right eye. He died in hospital as a result of his injuries on Oct. 1, 2018.

In her victim impact statement, Tracy Cheetham, Campbell’s ex-wife, told the court she will never forget the day they told her "Shawn would never wake up again." She says both she and Campbell’s daughter shook when they heard the news.

Haley Campbell told the court it was like she'd "swallowed a giant rock" when she was told her father would never wake up.

She says she went into a "deep depression" after her father’s death, and that she will never see her "dad’s smiling face" when they call her name at graduation or have him "see her in a wedding dress."

Crown lawyers are asking that Hart and Monsour be sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven to eight years for the killing of Campbell.

The sentencing hearing continues at the Victoria Courthouse Wednesday.