The Crown is seeking an 11-year sentence for a Saskatoon man convicted of manslaughter and a firearms offence, while the defence is asking for eight years. In February, a Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench jury found 23-year-old Katlim Desjarlais-Kelly guilty of manslaughter in the death of 48-year-old Arden Panipekeesick. Court heard Desjarlais-Kelly shot Panipekeesick after the two men exchanged gunfire in February 2024. A bullet passed through a door frame before striking Panipekeesick in the neck. He was pronounced dead inside his home on Avenue K North in Saskatoon’s Caswell Hill neighbourhood. On Friday, Desjarlais-Kelly also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm while prohibited. The Crown is seeking a 10-year sentence for manslaughter and one year for the firearms offence, as well as a lifetime firearms prohibition. With credit for time already served, Desjarlais-Kelly would have about seven years and two months remaining to serve. The defence is seeking seven years for manslaughter and one year for the firearms offence. Crown prosecutor Lee Hnatiuk said Panipekeesick’s family chose not to submit victim impact statements but asked the court to consider the impact of his death based on evidence heard during the trial. Hnatiuk pointed to testimony from Panipekeesick’s partner of 19 years, Eva Pritchard, with whom he had seven children. Pritchard testified that she held Panipekeesick as he was dying and heard him take his last breath. Hnatiuk said aggravating factors include that Desjarlais-Kelly was prohibited from possessing firearms, brought a loaded gun to the home and was there to supply fentanyl to the other people living in the home. He also pointed to Desjarlais-Kelly’s criminal record, which includes convictions for assault, robbery and weapons offences. Court also heard details about Desjarlais-Kelly’s upbringing. His father was incarcerated, and Desjarlais-Kelly was raised by his mother, who struggled with substance use. By around age 12, he had begun spending time with uncles involved in gangs. His grandmother attended a residential school, while his mother was part of the Sixties Scoop and spent time in foster care. Court also heard Desjarlais-Kelly has been diagnosed with substance use disorder, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Defence lawyer Patrick McDougall said Desjarlais-Kelly had little choice in where he ended up in life and few opportunities. “When you’re brought up in a family whose father is in jail, whose mother abuses substances, the kids have to fight for their lives,” McDougall said. At the end of the hearing, Desjarlais-Kelly stood in court and said he never wanted to kill anyone. He said he wished Panipekeesick’s family had been in court so he could apologize to them in person. Justice Krista Zerr is expected to deliver her sentencing decision Oct. 1.
