HALIFAX — A Halifax man convicted of manslaughter in the stabbing death of an American sailor has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Cory Wright had pleaded guilty to the charge in the killing of Damon Crooks when a brawl broke out on Nov. 4, 2006, at a Halifax nightclub.
When time already served in jail on remand is taken into account, Wright’s sentence by Justice Felix Cacchione of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court is reduced to 11 years in prison. Wright, 25, must serve a minimum of 5 1/2 years before he is eligible for parole.
Wright was originally charged with second-degree murder, but admitted to the lesser charge in court in March after defence lawyers reached a deal with the Crown.
Crooks, a 28-year-old sailor from Jacksonville, Fla., was visiting Halifax when he was stabbed in a fight outside a nightclub.
Crooks left behind a pregnant fiancee, who gave birth to a little girl almost two months after the murder.
Members of his family read victim impact statements that remembered Crooks as a hero who was attempting to help others when the brawl broke out and spilled onto the street on the night he died.
