Windsor man gets seven-year sentence for stabbing death of friend

A 52-year-old Windsor man received a seven-year prison sentence for the stabbing death of his friend.

Sean Perryman was sentenced Monday after previously pleading guilty to manslaughter in the February 23, 2021 death of Lamont Rhue, 55.

Warning: contains graphic details.

“What may have started as self-defence by Perryman against Rhue went beyond what was necessary and that is why he’s guilty of manslaughter,” assistant Crown Attorney George Spartinos tells CTV News.

Perryman was initially charged with first degree murder but after a preliminary hearing it was reduced to second degree murder.

He pleaded guilty in September 2021 to the lesser and included offence of manslaughter.

Perryman was described as remorseful and apologetic in his pre-sentence report.

During his sentencing hearing Monday Perryman turned to the monitor in court and offered an apology to Perrymans’ family member who was watching virtually.

Court heard both of Perrymans’ biological parents were killed by gun violence, he had a difficult time in the foster care system and struggled with substance abuse.

Defence lawyer Robert Dipietro Junior asked Justice Bruce Thomas for a sentence of five to six years with Assistant Crown Attorney George Spartinos asking for eight to 12 years in prison.

Justice Thomas credited Perryman for trying to turn his life around before sentencing him to seven years.

When given credit for time already served in custody, Perryman has four years and 11 months still to serve in a federal prison.

When given credit for time already served in custody, Perryman has four years and 11 months still to serve in a federal prison.

Defence lawyer Robert Dipietro Junior tells CTV News the sentence of seven years is both “appropriate” and “warranted” in light of the circumstances.

He says the pre-sentence report was “very positive” especially because of Perrymans’ “ability to take responsibility for all of his actions”, according to Dipietro Jr.

“My client had a rough upbringing. The only real family in his life is his twin sister,” says Dipietro Jr. who says Perryman is happy with the sentence and ready to move forward with his life.

According to Dipietro Jr. Perryman intends to continue addiction and mental health counselling while incarcerated and then hopes to reconnect with his sister when he is released on parole with the hopes of becoming an active and upstanding member of society.

Here are the facts in the case as heard in Monday’s sentencing hearing:

• *Rhue’s body was discovered by a friend around 2 p.m. in his home on Louis Avenue in Windsor
• *She told police he was laying on the floor between the kitchen and living room “unresponsive”, cold to the touch and there was a blood stain on his white shirt
• *the woman told police there were “signs of a struggle” in the living room
• *forensic identification officers with Windsor Police collected various DNA swabs from Rhue’s body and fingernail clippings for analysis
• *the autopsy by Pathologist Elena Tugaleva indicated multiple minor stab wounds to Rhue’s torso, arms, head and neck area but the fatal injury was a 12-inch stab wound to the abdomen
• *the toxicology report showed cocaine and methamphetamine in Rhue’s blood
• *Sean Perryman “came to the attention” of police in June 2021, six months after the murder
• *a mutual friend of Perryman and Rhue’s was in police custody for unrelated offences and told police she had information about a murder in Windsor
• *she had previously been abused by Rhue but still felt bad about his death and felt sorry for his family
• *police started surveillance on Perryman in late June and forensic identification officers collected a cigarette he discarded on the ground
• *Perrymans’ DNA was a match for the blood stain analysis from Rhue’s white shirt
• *Perryman was interviewed for four hours by investigators during which time he admitted to being at Rhue’s apartment on the morning of Feb. 23, 2021
• *Perryman went to Rhue’s apartment that day to buy illegal drugs
• *court heard Perryman and Rhue consumed drugs but a short time later they got into a fight over women Rhue allegedly abused
• *Perryman told police the two then got into a “knife fight” with both men armed with knives
• *Perryman says he was trying to defend himself from Rhue’s attack and at some point grabbed Rhue’s knife and the blade snapped off the handle (the handle was recovered at the scene but the blade of Rhue’s knife was not found)
• *court heard Perryman did suffer a minor wound on his hand