Matthew Brush has been sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole for 22 years for the murder of a pregnant Windsor woman.
Warning: some may find content disturbing.
Brush, from LaSalle, pleaded guilty to second degree murder of a Cassandra Kaake, 31, who was seven months pregnant when she was killed.
Brush, 28, sat quietly, staring straight ahead while Justice Bruce Thomas read his ruling on Monday.
When his sentence came down, Brush didn't react at all. Neither did any members of the Kaake family, more than 20 of them packed into the courthouse for the conclusion of what has been a lengthy court process.
Kaake’s body was discovered by emergency crews who were called to her Benjamin Avenue home for a fire on Dec. 11, 2014.
Outside of court this afternoon, the father of Kaake's unborn child says there is no justice in this sentence.
“He killed Cassie and he murdered our daughter,” says Kaake’s former boyfriend, Jeff Durham.
Kaake was pregnant with a girl, to be named Molly, but both lives ended after Kaake was choked, beaten and stabbed and had her fingertips cut off by Brush.
“He made sure our daughter was dead, he set fire to her,” says Durham. “Molly was a person to me and Cassie, this isn't justice in this.”
Defence lawyer Ken Golish argued for 20 years of parole ineligibility.
“The judge decided 22, so I don't think I want to say any more about it,” says Golish.
Justice Thomas says Brush pleading guilty to second degree murder and arson are mitigating factors in the crime, as is the fact Brush is a first-time offender.
However, Thomas said directly to Brush in court, “you have left a trail of broken lives in your wake.”
Crown attorney Belinda Pagliaroli had asked for 23 to 25 years of parole ineligibility for Brush.
“He's not eligible to apply for parole for 22 years, but there's nothing automatic thereafter,” says Pagliaroli.
That means even if Brush is still in prison after 25 years, he still must apply to get out.
