Hamelin appeared in court Tuesday with her new lawyer after firing her previous representative minutes before her sentencing hearing was to begin last week
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A woman who pleaded guilty to fatally beating an Edmonton senior will be sentenced on May 25 following several delays.
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Cynthia Hamelin, 51, pleaded guilty to a manslaughter last February after admitting to entering a McCauley-area seniors home in July of 2019 and robbing 83-year-old Giuseppina Micieli before kicking, punching and stomping on her. Micieli died of her injuries in hospital several weeks later.
Hamelin, who says she is dealing with multiple medical issues and spent the weekend in hospital, appeared in Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench in Edmonton on Tuesday with her new lawyer to set the sentencing date.
She had been scheduled to be sentenced last week but emailed her then-lawyer, Peter Royal, the day before the hearing to indicate her intentions to fire him and hire a new representative.
But, when the hearing began she flip-flopped, telling the court she no longer wanted to fire Royal, who said the confusion left him in an untenable position and unable to represent her further.
Justice Sterling Sanderman said proceedings could not continue if she didn’t have a lawyer and gave her one week to find a new representative.
The delay upset some in the gallery, including members of Micieli’s family who were expected to give victim impact statements.
The May 25 sentencing hearing is scheduled for a full day.
Manslaughter has no maximum or minimum sentence in Canada.