Windsor man pleads guilty to alcohol-fuelled stabbing of his partner

*WARNING: This story contains graphic content that some may find disturbing. Reader's discretion is advised.*

A Windsor man has pleaded guilty in the death of his common-law spouse.

Wellington Holland, 63, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a lesser charge of manslaughter in the death of Janice Madison, 67.

Holland was originally charged by Windsor Police with first-degree murder but was before the court on a single count of second-degree murder.

“This is a tragic offence obviously. It’s intimate partner violence and it offends us all,” Justice Bruce Thomas said Wednesday morning in superior court.

Court learned the couple have adult children from previous relationships and had been in a common-law relationship for four years.

Holland confessed to sister

On the morning of Nov. 14, 2023, court learned Holland called one of his sisters to confess to the killing.

She picked up their other sister and together they went to Madison and Holland’s home on Southdale Drive.

They found Holland sitting on the couch, “obviously intoxicated”, sitting on the couch uttering “she’s always belittling me and calling me names,” according to an agreed statement of facts read by Assistant Crown Attorney Bryan Pillon.

The sisters found Madison in her room, on the floor, with obvious signs of injury.

They called 911 and Madison was taken to hospital without vital signs, where she was pronounced dead.

Blood alcohol level ‘extreme’

Holland’s sister told the court she believed her brother had been “up drinking all night”, because he was slurring his speech and was “unsteady” on his feet.

“He was described as the drunkest they’d ever seen him,” Pillon told the court.

Court learned Holland had a projected blood alcohol concentration level of 260 to 335 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood at the time of the murder.

It is considered high enough to cause memory loss, vomiting, slurred speech and according to Holland’s defence lawyer is considered “extreme.”

The judge referred to it as a “significant level of intoxication.”

Officers overhear utterances

Police officers that responded to Holland and Madison’s home told the court about repeated confessions by Holland.

“While under arrest Holland continued to confess to killing Ms. Madison to many police officers who all observed him to be extremely intoxicated,” Pillon read.

One officer described him as “overtly intoxicated” and quoted Holland saying “she just kept yelling and yelling and yelling. I couldn’t stand it anymore.”

Autopsy results

An autopsy showed Madison died from a stab wound to her ear and her abdomen.

She also had several defensive stab wounds on her hands and “several other blunt trauma injuries.”

Holland agreed he stabbed Madison and caused her death.

Previous offences against the victim

Court learned Holland has a criminal record; four of which are convictions for offences against Madison:

• November 2019 – assault
• February 2022 – assault & uttering threats
• February 2022 – assault & failing to comply with court orders
• September 2022 – mischief

Holland never requested bail

Holland has been in custody since the day of the murder and never requested bail, according to his lawyer Bobby DiPietro Jr.

No one from Holland’s family was in attendance Wednesday but members of Madison’s family sat quietly during the proceedings.

A pre-sentence report has been ordered by Justice Thomas and he anticipates receiving victim impact statements to consider during Hollands’ sentencing hearing in January 2025.