'It was murder' family let down by 10-year sentence in death of Dustin Boulet

Emotions ran high in a Saskatoon court room as a man charged in the 2014 death of Dustin Boulet entered guilty pleas.

Boulet died in hospital on Mar. 1, 2014, after being stabbed outside Bridges Ale House while trying to break up a fight. He had been celebrating his 29th birthday that evening with friends.

Nathan Joseph, now 30, was originally charged with second-degree murder. He pleaded guilty Thursday to manslaugher in Boulet’s death.  Joseph also pleaded guilty to counts of aggravated assault against two other men stemming from the incident.

Things got tense when Boulet’s father, Glenn, started yelling and screaming at members of Joseph’s family during the hearing. Sheriffs escorted him and another man out of the courtroom, but the judge eventually let Glen back in to give a victim impact statement.

Speaking  in court with tears in his eyes, Glenn called Boulet  “a peacemaker” and said the good memories of his son have been replaced with the horror of that night.

“I live without hope,” he said, adding he carries guilt and regret for not being able to prevent his death.

After the hearing he said the Boulet family has been living in Dustin’s apartment since his death.

“It’s not an apartment, it’s a shrine,” he said, his voice cracking. “That’s what we deal with every day. Life doesn’t go on.”

The judge sentenced Joseph to 10 years in prison for the manslaughter charge. With credit for time already served, Joseph has 5 years 8 months left to serve. Joseph also received 1 year sentences for each of the aggravated assault charges.

Glenn Boulet said he wished Joseph had been sentenced to 20 years for murder instead.

“Just not justified, what happened here today,” he said. “It was murder.”

Joseph, originally from the Caribbean nation of Saint Lucia, was living in Canada illegally for two years before the incident and will be deported from Canada after his release.

Estevan Fuenzalida was also charged following Boulet’s death. He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years for manslaughter and two counts of accessory after the fact to aggravated assault in September 2014. 

-with files from Brent Bosker and Chris Vandenbreekel