Saretzky’s Appeal in Alberta for Triple Murder Delayed Until Supreme Court Weighs Another Case | The Canadian News

Alberta’s superior court agreed to hear an appeal from the sentence of a man convicted of killing three people, but the hearing date was indefinitely delayed.

Derek Saretzky was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2015 deaths of Terry Blachette, the man’s two-year-old daughter, Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette and Hanne Meketech.

He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 75 years.

His attorney, Balfour Der, asked the Alberta Court of Appeal for permission to challenge the constitutionality of consecutive periods of parole ineligibility.

The Court of Appeals says it will hear the appeal, but only after the Supreme Court decides on Alexandre Bissonnette’s case.

Bissonnette killed six people at a Quebec City mosque in 2017 and was sentenced to life in prison without parole for 40 years, but later changed on appeal to 25 years.

The Quebec Court of Appeals ruled that the cumulative sentencing provision is unconstitutional.

Crown prosecutor Christine Rideout told the Alberta Court of Appeals on Tuesday that the province will appear as intervener in the Bissonnette case in the Supreme Court, as there are cases in the province that have similarities.

But he said the appeal of Saretzky’s sentence should have been requested a long time ago.

“There is nothing additional that Mr. Saretzky can add to that appeal in terms of original argument or original analysis.

“It shouldn’t have taken nearly three years for his conviction appeal to be heard,” he told the court.

Saretzky had previously appealed his three murder convictions and then dropped all but one.

The Court of Appeals heard his appeal for the murder of Meketech, 69, but dismissed it.

The court heard that Saretzky was “a would-be serial killer” at the time of the attacks. He had few close friends and owned numerous books on serial killers and serial murders.

Der said his client still deserves to be heard.

“The other key feature here is fairness to Mr. Saretzky,” Der said.

“Honestly, I have no idea why his lawyer did not present the constitutional challenge to the trial judge.”

Judge Peter Martin said it is an unusual case and that he and his fellow judges decided to allow the appeal after Bissonnette’s case is resolved.

“We will allow the request and allow Mr. Saretzky to raise these arguments … however, we will adjourn the matter and consider the argument once the Supreme Court of Canada has spoken in Bissonnette on the appeal before it.”