KITCHENER — A Kitchener man who killed another man with a single punch to the head outside a convenience store last summer was sentenced to 3 ½ years in prison.

Edward Bush, 41, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, will serve 35 months, taking into consideration time already served.

He's been in a jail since the day of the deadly assault on Dylan Darren Debreau, 23, on June 26.

In a rare moment of emotion, Justice Michael Epstein cried as he told Debreau's family that in his 39 years practising law as a lawyer and judge he's seen seven cases which resulted in the death of a person because of one punch.

Debreau's mother burst out crying as Epstein said he's tried to "preach" to make the young people "appreciate how horrific the consequences of an assault can be."

After the sentence, Debreau's girlfriend Nina Quirion said she was disappointed with the jail time imposed by the judge. Quirion and Debreau had a son, Dalton, who is 10 months old.

"It wasn't enough. He should be getting life," she said.

In his sentence, Epstein acknowledged families "suffer enormous loss and lives are ruptured apart and disrupted."

Epstein said he understands if the family feels revenge but sentencing principles don't allow for that.

The sentence is "never designed to reflect the value of your loved one," Epstein told the family.

"If that's what it was about, every sentence would be a life sentence."

Epstein said Bush's one punch was a "cowardly act that offered no warning" but he believes there was no intention to kill Debreau.

Court heard that Bush was at Sunny's Mini Mart on Lancaster Street on June 26 and "by chance" happened to see Debreau outside the store.

The two had previously been in a disagreement over living arrangements and a missing cheque.

Bush approached Debreau and punched him once in the head and Debreau hit the sidewalk.

Bush left the victim lying on the sidewalk and took off. He was arrested a short time later by Waterloo Regional Police.

Debreau was taken to Grand River Hospital and then airlifted to a Hamilton hospital for a skull fracture and blood on brain, court heard.

In her victim impact statement, Debreau's mother Lisa Levesque said losing her eldest son is "a pain and agony I will suffer for a lifetime."

"There is no moving on, getting over it, there's no fix to my heartache, no going back in time to say, 'I love you.'"

Levesque, a nurse at Hamilton General Hospital, recalled the text she received to say her son was being flown to the Hamilton hospital because of head trauma.

"As a health care professional I knew this scenario was a life and death situation, my heart raced and my fears became my reality," she said.

For six days, she stood by his bedside until the family pulled him from life support.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

"I was grateful for at least those days. Some people never get that," she said.

Three of Dylan's organs were donated and "my healthy and strong son would live on forever in others."

In a poem written by Debreau's younger brother, Jacob, said he missed his "big bro."

"At night I miss the sound of your music, I miss you climbing through the window when you were late. I miss your comfort and the way you made me feel safe," said the 15-year-old teen.

"I miss our nonsense arguments and all our wrestling matches just to pass time," he said.

Debreau's stepfather Steve Levesque said since Dalton's birth, Dylan had become a doting father.

"Since your baby boy was born I could see how you thrived to be a good father. Nothing was more important to you than making sure your little boy was safe and healthy," he said.

Bush's lawyer David McCarthy said his client was remorseful since his arrest and wanted to go to court as soon as possible to deal with the matter.

Court heard that Bush, 41, grew up in a dysfunctional family with an abusive father and alcoholic stepfather. He quit school at 15 because he didn't fit in because of his aboriginal and African Canadian heritage.

About four years ago, he started using drugs and was in drug treatment court for meth and marijuana, McCarthy said.

Before being sentenced, Bush apologized to Debreau's family.

"I never meant for this to happen. I am really sorry," he said.

After the sentence, Epstein apologized for getting emotional during his judgment.

"Those are the most compelling victim impact statements I have ever heard," he said.