John Albert Buchanan was sentenced for manslaughter on Tuesday, April 13. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

manslaughter

Man sentenced for beating death at south Nanaimo apartment

Apr 13, 2021 | 2:44 PM

NANAIMO — A Nanaimo man convicted of clubbing his drug dealer to death will spend a further two years in provincial jail.

John Albert Buchanan was sentenced in the BC Supreme Court in Nanaimo on Tuesday, April 13. He was given nearly four-and-a-half years credit for time served in pre-sentence custody. Buchanan will also be on probation for two years after his sentence is over.

He’d beaten his drug dealer Richard Sitar in Sitar’s Nicol St. apartment in September, 2017 after the trial heard the victim didn’t produce the offender with $80 worth of pre-paid drugs.

Buchanan, 49, was originally charged with second degree murder but was found guilty for manslaughter by Justice Robin Baird in early January, 2021.

Surveillance video of Buchanan’s movements before and after the crime and a jailhouse confession were cited as key pieces of evidence in Baird’s ruling.

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Justice Baird said the duo had a “lopsided” relationship where Buchanan was often tormented by Sitar, until Buchanan eventually snapped.

A pre-sentence report showed Buchanan displayed no remorse for the violent act while also continuing to deny responsibility for Sitar’s death. The report recommended intensive anger management therapy for Buchanan, who had completed several substance abuse programs while in custody.

A psychiatrist indicated Buchanan was somewhere above a low risk to re-offend with violence.

Justice Baird took aim at Buchanan’s lack of remorse prior to issuing his sentence.

“I want this person to get it through his skull that the margin between this manslaughter verdict and a verdict of guilty on a charge of second degree murder was not wide!”

Baird said he shared frustrations by Sitar’s relatives of the attitude and responsiveness displayed by Buchanan’s for his post-offence conduct.

Buchanan was visibly distraught in the prisoners box while Sitar’s distraught widow wept from her seat in court.

Justice Baird called Buchanan a killer and a liar.

Following the lunch break and just prior to the sentence being issued, Buchanan reversed course by take responsibility for killing Sitar in a brief statement to the court.

The Crown had asked for a six to eight year sentence for Buchanan, while the defence countered with no further jail time and three years probation.

Justice Baird said most manslaughter sentences fall between the range of four and 15 years in prison.

Buchanan was also handed a lifetime weapons ban and ordered to provide a DNA sample.

Sitar’s spouse declined to comment following the hearing.

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