A 60-year-old man from Bruce Mines has been sentenced to 11 and a half years in prison for the brutal murder of a 65-year-old woman from Sault Ste. Marie. Her body was found under a dock in Kawartha Lakes, near the man's cottage, in the summer of 2021.
A 60-year-old man from Bruce Mines has been sentenced to 11 and a half years in prison for the brutal murder of a 65-year-old woman from Sault Ste. Marie. Her body was found under a dock in Kawartha Lakes , near the man's cottage, in the summer of 2021. Norman May was initially convicted of manslaughter in November 2022, but the charge was upgraded to murder during the sentencing hearing.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Michelle Fuerst stated in her written reasons for sentencing that Hatley's life ended tragically and suddenly when May assaulted and strangled her at his cottage. Before disposing of her body in the lake, he made a crude attempt to hide the crime. May and Hatley had begun dating in late 2020 after meeting online. Their relationship was tumultuous, with ups and downs in the months leading up to the murder. On July 11, 2021, Hatley joined May at his cottage in Kawartha Lakes. Days earlier, they had argued about infidelity, ending the relationship but then reconciling. That evening, May drank with a male neighbour while Hatley went to bed. The neighbour left in the early morning hours, leaving May and Hatley alone. At 4:46 a.m., May sent a chilling message to a third person: 'Well she's deaf who's next?' He then left an almost indecipherable voicemail for his neighbour. At approximately 7:20 a.m., a father and son fishing discovered Hatley's body partially submerged under the dock in front of May's cottage. Police found clumps of Hatley's hair inside the cottage, along with small amounts of her blood on a disconnected toilet in the main bedroom, on May's left hand, leg cast, and his T-shirt. A post-mortem examination revealed that Hatley suffered numerous injuries, including ruptured blood vessels in the face, facial bruising, severe neck injuries, and broken bones in her torso. The official cause of death was listed as neck compression. Hatley was remembered by her family as a loving, kind, and considerate person who brought joy to everyone she met. During the sentencing, Justice Fuerst listed several aggravating factors, including intimate partner violence, breach of trust (Hatley was a guest in his home), the brutal nature of the murder, and May's attempt to dispose of her body, which was seen as a form of desecration. The court also considered May's prior criminal record, which included violent crimes and offences related to alcohol abuse, as further aggravating factors. Mitigating factors included May expressing remorse and electing to proceed without a trial. He initially pleaded not guilty due to memory loss about the events of that morning. Justice Fuerst sentenced May to 11 and a half years in prison, less pre-sentence custody of 1284 days, credited at one and a half days for each day served. This leaves a remaining sentence of six years, one month, and 24 days for May to serve
Murder Sentencing Ontario Kawartha Lakes Intimate Partner Violence Domestic Violence Victim Impact Statement
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