Crown prosecution called for a sentence of 13 to 14 years for John Sedo, who was found guilty of manslaughter in the death of his wife, Helen Sedo, in July 2020.
Sedo, 65, was found guilty of manslaughter last February.
A large contingent of family and friends of Helen Sedo watched as Crown and defence lawyers made their sentencing submissions in a hearing held in Ontario Superior Court in Newmarket on Wednesday, Aug. 28.
Crown prosecution lawyer J. Kim called for the sentence of 13 to 14 years, minus time spent in custody, noting there were several aggravating factors in the case.
These include John Sedo hiding his wife’s remains, which have yet to be recovered, noting this causes additional harm to the family and friends of Helen.
Kim added that the fact the incident took place in the couple’s Aurora home is another aggravating factor, saying the emphasis with sentencing in domestic incidents should be “on denunciation and deterrence.”
In response, defence lawyer Thomas Pittman said while John Sedo ultimately “maintains his innocence,” he called for a sentence of eight years, minus the time already spent in prison, which totals nearly four years.
Pittman also called for a reduction in the sentence of up to 18 months due to the “harsh conditions” of John Sedo’s prison sentence in the Central East Correctional Centre, with long periods spent in lockdown, due to staffing and COVID-19, and often being triple-bunked in his cell.
With those reductions, Pittman ultimately called for the time served to be between 18 months and three years.
Helen Sedo was reported missing several days after her disappearance on July 29, 2020. Investigators soon deemed her disappearance suspicious.
John Sedo, then 61, was arrested on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, and charged in connection with the death.
On Oct. 13, 2020, investigators recovered Helen Sedo’s burned vehicle in a quarry northeast of Huntsville, after it was found by hunters.
Pittman added the couple had a “loving relationship” but an argument over the long-term care of Helen Sedo’s elderly father in part led to the “unspeakable tragedy.”
“John Sedo was a good man. He did a bad thing and in the aftermath of that tragedy, he panicked,” said Pittman during his submissions.
Sedo, who was shackled and sitting in the prisoner's box, declined the chance to speak at the hearing when offered by the judge, responding, "Respectfully, your Honour, no, thank you."
Justice Michelle Fuerst adjourned to the case to a sentencing hearing set for Oct. 2 at 3:30 p.m.
