By Canadian Press

Calgary man convicted in five-year-old grandson’s death to be sentenced

Sep 27, 2019 | 1:10 AM

CALGARY — A Calgary man convicted of killing his young grandson is to learn his sentence today.

Allan Perdomo Lopez was found guilty of manslaughter last month in the 2015 death of five-year-old Emilio Perdomo.

The man’s trial heard Emilio was taken to Canada from Mexico so he could have a better life.

But instead, the boy died of a traumatic brain injury five months after his arrival.

Queen’s Bench Justice Richard Neufeld was shown photos of bruises and scars, in various stages of healing, all over Emilio’s body.

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The Crown has proposed a prison sentence of 12 to 15 years, while the defence says six to eight years would be more appropriate.

Prosecutor Vicki Faulkner told court that Perdomo Lopez deserves a harsh sentence because he was in a position of trust over Emilio, a vulnerable and isolated little boy.

She also said the offender has expressed no remorse, except for the consequences to himself, and referred to the boy as a demon who needed to be cleansed from the house.

Defence lawyer Darren Mahoney agreed a stiff punishment is in order, but that six to eight years would be enough to send a message of denunciation and deterrence.

He urged the judge to focus on a single blow that caused Emilio’s death, because it was not proven in court that his client was solely responsible for past abuse.

A victim impact statement from the boy’s grandmother, with whom Emilio lived in Mexico before he was sent to Canada, was read at a sentencing hearing earlier this week.

In it, Marisol Segovia-Alvarez described a friendly and happy boy who loved music and wanted to buy his mother a house.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2019.

Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press