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At trial, court heard Pelletier was angry at Berg and enlisted help as she beat Berg, stuffed a bleach-soaked rag in her mouth and strangled her. Frenchman not only helped Pelletier strangle Berg, but also knew about the plan to enlist John Kisil, who also pleaded guilty to participating in the offence, dispose of her body.

Mark also argued that although Frenchman apologized for what she did ahead of sentencing, she denied participating in the attack.

“There appears to be no true remorse,” Mark said.

But Frenchman’s defence lawyer Rob Wachowich argued Frenchman was a follower, not a leader in the murder. He also pointed to factors outlined in a Gladue report, which is prepared to determine if an Indigenous offender’s background has contributed to them coming before the court. Frenchman’s early life was tragic, court heard. Her parents died when she was very young and she was repeatedly sexually assaulted for years by a family member.

Little ruled that Frenchman’s personal circumstances outweighed factors that would lengthen the parole ineligibility period.

The judge said that when he watched Frenchman’s interview with police after her arrest, she was a “hard, streetwise woman.” He said she has clearly degenerated while in jail

“She is old beyond her time. She seems to have little awareness of the proceedings going on in front of her,” he said, noting that Frenchman had trouble reading an apology she prepared for court.

The sheer horror of the attack troubles Berg’s mother, Joanne Berg, who filed a written victim impact statement with the court.

“What could any human being ever do to deserve such a death?” she wrote.

In the statement, the mother tells Frenchman she will never think of her again because she refuses to let anger rule her life. But she said she will always love and miss her daughter.

“She was my first born and when I think about her I can still see her singing, dancing, laughing and sometimes just acting silly.”

pparsons@postmedia.com

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