CALGARY — Alberta's top court has upheld the conviction of a Calgary man who admitted to killing his girlfriend and was also found guilty in her daughter's death.
Robert Leeming had pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Jasmine Lovett in 2019, but not guilty to the same charge in the death of 22-month-old Aliyah Sanderson.
Leeming was handed an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole for 22 years.
In appealing his 2022 conviction, Leeming argued the trial judge erred in his conclusions about the child's death.
In a decision released Tuesday, Leeming's challenge was unanimously rejected by the Alberta Court of Appeal.
"We conclude that the trial judge made no reversible error. He carefully considered all the evidence and came to reasonable conclusions about what inferences could and could not be drawn from that evidence," said Justice Bernette Ho in the ruling.
"Ultimately, he was properly satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of the guilt of the appellant. The appeal must be dismissed."
Leeming had testified he was looking after Aliyah when she fell down some stairs, and that he found her limp and unresponsive when he checked on her later.
Trial judge Keith Yamauchi said Leeming was not a believable witness and there was no doubt that Leeming caused the injuries which led to the girl’s death.
“Her injuries were not accidental. He meant to cause Aliyah’s death or meant to cause bodily harm to Aliyah that was likely to cause her death,” the judge said.
Leeming said he snapped when Lovett accused him of doing something to her child, and struck her several times with a hammer before coming back with a rifle and shooting her in the head.
The bodies of the mother and child were found buried in a shallow grave west of Calgary.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2024.
Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press
