Home / Crime and Justice / Cape Breton Woman Sentenced to 8 Years for Manslaughter
Cape Breton Woman Sentenced to 8 Years for Manslaughter
6 Oct
Summary
- Dermody received an eight-year prison sentence for manslaughter.
- The victim, Natacha Leroy, was stabbed multiple times in the abdomen.
- Dermody has a history of anger issues and assaultive behavior.
A Cape Breton woman has received an eight-year prison sentence for manslaughter in the death of Natacha Leroy. Carolyn Ann Dermody, 28, was originally charged with murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge. The fatal incident occurred in November 2023 during a party in Little Mill Village.
Facts presented during sentencing revealed that Dermody and Leroy were consuming drugs and alcohol with others. Dermody admitted to stabbing Leroy three times in the abdomen. Justice Patrick Duncan described the attack as "callous and unprovoked," noting Leroy was unarmed and vulnerable.
Leroy's remains were discovered three days later, partially covered by debris, behind the house. The judge expressed concern over Dermody's history of conflict with the law, including a pattern of assaultive behaviors, and questioned her potential for rehabilitation.
Dermody will serve approximately four years and three months after receiving credit for time served. In addition to her prison term, she will be entered into a national DNA bank and faces a lifetime weapons ban.
