Dozens of people stood in front of Deline's cultural centre on Thursday for a feeding of the fire ceremony to show support for 32-year-old Jonathan Tetso before his sentencing hearing for manslaughter.

As RCMP led him up the stairs of the cultural centre, which serves as the community's courthouse, the Deline Drummers sang a prayer song and community members clapped. A court sheriff handed out bottled water, and others hugged each other.

Despite wearing handcuffs, Tetso managed to wave to the crowd, which cheered in response.

Watch community members drum for Jonathan Tetso as he walks into his sentencing hearing:

Jonathan Tetso was sentenced in Deline, N.W.T., this week in the death of his mother. The community and both families came out to support him. 0:41

According to an agreed statement of facts, Tetso, his 65-year-old adoptive mother Irene Tetso, his nephew Christian Tetso and friend Connie Modeste spent the afternoon drinking on Dec. 23, 2016.

Tetso argued with everyone in the group — at one point punching a dresser and, later, hitting his nephew in the head with what was believed to be a frying pan.

Tetso and his mother later got into a physical altercation at her house.

When Tetso's nephew returned to the home about an hour later, he found Irene dead on the floor beside her bed. Tetso was lying on his own bed.

The house was covered in a red substance that police initially thought was blood, but turned out to be red paint, according to the agreed statement of facts. Irene was covered in the paint, and it was all over Tetso's feet, face and hands.

The court documents state Irene suffered from multiple injuries including bruising and cuts.

Unprecedented support

Drummers sang a prayer song as Jonathan Tetso was led into the cultural centre, which serves as the community's courthouse. (Submitted by Paulina Roche)

Tetso pleaded guilty to manslaughter in December 2017. On Thursday, Justice Louise Charbonneau sentenced him to four and a half years behind bars for the crime.

Crown prosecutor Annie Piche said the sentence was a joint recommendation on behalf of the Crown and the defence. Piche added she has never seen such an outpouring of community support at a sentencing hearing.

"The support of the community was one factor the judge considered in assessing Mr. Tetso's prospect of rehabilitation in this case," she said.

Deline is a community of about 500 people on the western shore of Great Bear Lake.

Paulina Roche, Tetso's aunt, organized the gathering. She said an elders committee representing both Tetso and Irene's families decided to forgive him.

"We can never bring Irene back, but we can forgive and move on," said Roche. "That's what elders are telling us. We have to forgive. We can't change it. We have to be there for Jonathan."

Taking into account time served, Tetso still has 26 and a half months left in his sentence.

Listen to Paulina Roche talk about the gathering with Trail's End guest host Juanita Taylor.