Inquiry hears killer of Calgary caseworker had difficult transition from youth to adult

A fatality enquiry into the stabbing decease of a Calgary caseworker 5 years agone has heard that the slayer was absent from his assisted-living installation for weeks astatine a clip earlier the onslaught happened.

Brandon Newman pleaded blameworthy successful 2021 to second-degree execution for stabbing Deborah Onwu 19 times successful 2019.

He was sentenced to beingness successful situation with nary accidental of parole for 14 years.

Onwu was moving with Newman astatine Wood’s Homes Assisted Living Residence successful southwest Calgary — a intelligence wellness centre.

Fatality inquiries are ineligible proceedings earlier a tribunal of justness that clarify the circumstances of a decease and whitethorn supply penetration and recommendations to forestall akin deaths.

Daina Havens, a programme manager for Wood’s Homes, told the enquiry that Newman was primitively assigned a squad of 7 unit and 2 radical would beryllium with him astatine each times. She described him arsenic “a truly bully young man” but mentally precise young.

She said Newman’s modulation from younker attraction to that of an big erstwhile helium turned 18 proved to beryllium difficult, and helium would often leave. On 1 occasion, helium disappeared for 3 weeks.

Court heard helium was successful the programme 64 days and absent 79 days.

A determination was made to trim his enactment squad truthful 1 unit subordinate would beryllium with him.

“If we person an idiosyncratic who’s feeling oppressed, it tin apt aggravate and summation assertive behaviour. It’s a triggering origin … truthful reducing that ratio nether continuous supervision would person little interaction connected his temper absorption capacity,” Havens said.

“Our attraction was failing,” she said.

The nighttime of the attack, a unit subordinate received a extremity that Newman was astatine a transit presumption and “high arsenic a kite.”

Onwu was filling successful for a person and moving the nighttime displacement astatine the facility. She noted to a workfellow that Newman had missed the 11 p.m. curfew.

He arrived aft 2 a.m. and fractional an hr aboriginal different unit subordinate heard what sounded similar a combat successful the unit.

Onwu died of humor nonaccomplishment astatine the country aft being stabbed successful the head, face, neck, thorax and ankle.