A Binbrook, Ont. man convicted in the fatal shooting of a Six Nations man over seven years ago has been sentenced to eight years in prison on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.
The fate of Peter Khill comes six months after 12 jurors found him guilty of manslaughter after he shot and killed 29-year-old Jonathan Styres in February 2016. The man was on Khill’s rural Hamilton property and had broken into his pickup truck when the shooting occurred.
The jury rejected his argument that it was self-defence.
Manslaughter with a firearm comes with a minimum sentence of four years imprisonment, which is what the defence asked for. On the other hand, the Crown was asking for eight to 12 years. The maximum sentence is life in prison.
During his last appearance in April, the court heard victim impact statements from Styres’ family. His wife shared how their two young daughters are no longer able to talk to or hug their father.
Six Nations Elected Chief Mark Hill said the outcome of the trial leaves Indigenous people feeling as though their lives are meaningless.
Khill was granted bail in December 2022, which allowed him to remain out on a $100,000 bond until his sentencing.
He was acquitted after a trial in 2018 before ordering a new one, which ended in a mistrial.
A third trial ultimately resulted in him being convicted of manslaughter in December.
