A former Windsor man has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of first-degree murder dating back more than 11 years.
Turning to face the family members of one of his victims, Michael John Lawrence said, “If I could live my life over, what happened would not have happened.”
Lawrence, 37, who was incarcerated at the Springhill Correctional Facility when charges were laid in December 2010, pled guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in Supreme Court in Kentville Jan. 10.
Lawrence told the court he is sorry for the pain he’s caused the families and for what he did.
Justice Gerald Moir handed Lawrence a life sentence on each of the three first-degree murder charges, with no eligibility for parole for 25 years. The court will impose a lifetime firearm prohibition against Lawrence and will grant a primary DNA order. The sentence came as a joint recommendation from Crown attorney Peter Craig and defence lawyer Brian Bailey.
After Moir accepted Lawrence’s guilty pleas, an agreed statement of facts regarding the first-degree murder of Charles Maddison in Hants County Sept. 8, 2000 and the first-degree murders of Barry Kirk Mersereau and Nancy Paula Christensen in Centre Burlington Sept. 9, 2000 was distributed.
Craig read aloud a victim impact statement written by Maddison’s 89-year-old mother Etta at the request of the family. Several members of Maddison’s family were present in court. She wrote Charles was her oldest child and had planned to travel to Ontario the week after he went missing.
Lawrence had written a letter of apology to the Maddison family in December 2010, which was delivered through police. Maddison’s mother wrote in her victim impact statement she “felt horrible” when she received it.
Moir said he was pleased Lawrence had taken responsibility for his actions and hopes he is successful in finding redemption. Lawrence has battled numerous health problems, including cancer, which is currently in remission.
Moir said he had no choice under the law but to hand Lawrence a life sentence. However, he said he would do the same if he did have a choice.
Leslie Douglas Greenwood, 41, of East Mountain, formerly of Bramber, and Curtis Blair Lynds, 35, formerly of North River, are also charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Mersereau and Christensen. Lynds is charged with being an accessory after the fact in the murder of Maddison. The charges against Greenwood and Lynds have not been proven in court.
