Jannai Dopwell Bailey had no chance. Two attackers rushed at him with a knife. He was only 16 years old. A “violent and unfair” murder, according to judge Annie Émond, who sentenced Andrei Donet on Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 13 years.
“I am satisfied with the sentence. My son is no longer here. He will be remembered forever. I love it. I’m getting tired of him. This is a saving victory for me. My son is always in my heart. He is always with me. He’s inside me at all times,” Charla Dopwell, the victim’s mother, commented in the press scrum.
Asked about the lack of reaction from Andrei Donet during the hearing, Mme Dopwell called the murderer a “demon.” The 21-year-old killer – who was 18 at the time – remained impassive, as always, as his sentence was imposed Thursday at the Montreal courthouse.
Last month, a jury convicted Andrei Donet of the second-degree murder of Jannai Dopwell in a Montreal schoolyard. In fact, he was automatically sentenced to life in prison. It remained for Judge Émond to set the period of ineligibility for parole. The defense hoped for 10 years, the minimum, against 15 years for the Crown.
The tragedy occurred on October 18, 2021, after classes at a high school located on Van Horne Avenue. Andrei Donet’s group was lurking near the school. Jannai Dopwell and his friends headed in their direction. Suddenly, pepper spray was thrown by one of the groups.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Jannai’s mother, Charla Dopwell-Bailey, at her son’s funeral
In a panic, Jannai Dopwell started running. He was caught by Andrei Donet and a 16-year-old teenager. The two attackers stabbed the victim on the ground at least six times. The evidence does not determine who used the knife. The 16-year-old assailant was also found guilty of murder in the Youth Chamber. He has not yet received his sentence.
“It was a violent and unfair murder of two against one, against a boy inconvenienced by the gas and lying on the ground,” summarized the judge.
According to Judge Émond, the motive for the murder is “nebulous”, since the protagonists did not know each other. The judge was not convinced by the Crown’s thesis, namely that a conflict between the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and Côte-des-Neiges sectors was at the origin of the case.
After the murder, Andrei Donet and the 16-year-old celebrated their crime by posting “happy vibes” videos on social media. He then wrote rap songs on his cell phone denigrating Jannai Dopwell. In detention, Andrei Donet stabbed a fellow inmate 10 times, practically killing him.
The judge took into account numerous aggravating factors to determine the sentence: the accused’s propensity for violence, the dramatic consequences on the victim’s family, the Instagram publications and the accused’s “blatant” lack of empathy. She also underlined the “brutality of the attack, while the victim tried to flee”.
As mitigating factors, the judge noted the young age of the accused, the support of his family and his lack of criminal record of a violent nature. Given the high number of aggravating factors, the judge determined that a parole ineligibility period of 13 years was adequate.
Me Katerine Brabant represented the public prosecutor, then Me Martin Latour and Me Benoit Demchuck defended the accused.