UPDATE: Time served for Barrett in Jessome killing

SYDNEY — Five years after the remains of a 21-year-old woman were found along the shore of the Mira River stuffed inside a hockey bag, a Cape Breton family now turns to their community in a bid to find justice for the victim.

As she stood in a hallway Tuesday at the Sydney Justice Centre, Edna Jessome made a tearful plea for someone to come forth and tell the truth about how her daughter, Laura Catherine, was killed in May 2012.

"There was no justice for Laura," Jessome said, urging anyone with information to contact police.

Her plea came only minutes after watching the man initially charged with second-degree murder in her daughter's death receive a five-year sentence on a reduced charge of accessory to manslaughter.

Given the remand time that accused Thomas Ted Barrett, 42, of Glace Bay, has already completed, the sentence is now considered served.

Barrett is currently serving a life sentence, having been convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Brett Elizabeth McKinnon, 19, of Glace Bay in 2006. He has filed an appeal of that conviction and sentence but no date has been set for a hearing as Barrett is without legal counsel.

The Jessome family's pain and anguish was not lost on Cape Breton Chief Crown attorney Kathryn Pentz or Supreme Court Justice Frank Edwards.

"Justice has not been served and whose fault is that?" asked Edwards, after accepting the joint sentencing recommendation from Pentz and defence lawyer Zeb Brown. Edwards said while Crown and police worked hard on the case, such work was negated when key Crown witnesses began changing their stories and refusing to testify.

Edna Jessome, centre, cried out Tuesday for her community to help find justice for her daughter, Laura, who was killed in 2012. Flanked by her parents Bernard and Deanna Buffet, Jessome pleaded for anyone with information to go to police. The man accused of second-degree murder in the case, Thomas Ted Barrett, 42, was sentenced Tuesday to five years, time served, on a reduced charge of accessory to manslaughter. (CAPE BRETON POST)

He said the most aggravating factor in the case was Barrett's refusal to tell the whole truth, adding he was struck by a comment Barrett made in the pre-sentence report about valuing honesty. "I find such a comment rings hollow when he is not naming names," said Edwards.

Members of the Jessome family said they were let down by the justice system, given that Crown and police officials had kept telling them they had a good case.

However, Pentz explained Tuesday that a key Crown witnesses, Morgan James MacNeil, gave too many inconsistent statements and even perjured himself in another proceeding.

MacNeil was also charged with second-degree murder in Jessome's death but pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years, two more than Barrett received.

At MacNeil's sentencing hearing, the court was told that Barrett, Jessome, MacNeil and others were doing drugs at Barrett's apartment for about a day. An argument erupted between Jessome and Barrett when Jessome requested more drugs. She stormed out of the apartment. MacNeil said Barrett instructed him to get Jessome back and in returning her to the apartment, Barrett strangled her.

Another man, Robert Edwin Matheson, received a three-year sentence after admitting he helped Barrett dispose of Jessome's body in the Mira River.

"All we know for certain is that she did not take her own life," said Edna Jessome, in reading her victim impact statement to the court. She said she will always wonder if her youngest daughter felt any pain before she died and whether she cried out for help.

Barrett said it was a terrible crime but that he pleaded guilty to exactly what he had done.