Denis Florian Ratte must serve at least 15 years behind bars before he can apply for parole for the second degree murder of his wife, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Glen Parrett ruled Friday.
Following a four-week trial, a 12-person jury found Nov. 3 that Ratte shot his wife in the back of the head on Aug. 18, 1997 while she was feeding ducks in the back yard of the family's East Perry Road home and dumped her body in a swamp east of Prince George.
Parrett characterized the matter as "above all, a case of extreme domestic violence," and noted a majority of the jury called for the maximum 25 years before eligibility on the conviction and a minority suggested 15 years.
But he also said case law on similar cases had to be taken into account in coming to his decision. Crown counsel Marie Louise Ahrens was seeking at least 15 years and defence counsel James Heller argued for 10 to 12 years during a sentencing hearing on Thursday.
Parrett said he accepted and agreed with the jury's view of the evidence, must of which hinged on an admission Ratte gave to undercover police posing as organized criminals and further characterized Ratte as a "considered liar."
A stocky 58-year-old and wearing a grey and black plaid shirt and black pants, Ratte was emotionless as Parrett delivered the verdict.
