calgary toddler suffered major burns to a third of his body a week before his death that went untreated, court hears
not only was the child suffering from severe injuries for the final few days of his life, he was also 'emaciated and dehydrated, with his body weight below the third percentile'
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family of gabriel sinclair-pasqua react after parents sonya pasqua and michael sinclair pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of their 18-month-old son at the calgary courts centre on monday, dec. 9, 2024.
darren makowichuk/postmedia
little gabriel sinclair-pasqua suffered major burns to 33 per cent of his body which his parents didn’t get him treatment for a week before succumbing to those injuries and blunt force trauma to his head, a calgary court heard monday. the toddler’s parents pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter in the boy’s oct. 5, 2021, death, eliminating the need for a trial next march.
pasqua and sinclair both admitted playing a role in the death of gabriel, who was discovered in medical distress in their radisson heights residence in the 2800 block of 14th avenue s.e. the 18-month-old was unresponsive when first responders arrived and could not be revived.
the parents were arrested in february 2023.
at the request of defence lawyers james mcleod and rebecca snukal, justice glen poelman ordered gladue reports into the two offenders’ indigenous backgrounds be prepared in advance of sentencing arguments in the new year.
reading from a statement of agreed facts, crown prosecutor carolina valenzuela detailed the child’s chilling final days.
“around sept. 27 or 28, 2021, … gabriel suffered a major burn to 33 per cent of his body,” valenzuela said.
“neither sinclair nor pasqua took gabriel to a doctor to treat the burns.”
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gabriel sinclair-pasqua, shown in a photo supplied by the family, died on oct. 5, 2021.
a pediatric plastic surgeon at alberta children’s hospital classified the injuries as a major pediatric burn.
“a major pediatric burn would have required emergency medical care and immediate hospitalization to monitor vital signs and fluid status, antimicrobial dressing changes and monitoring for infection.”
in text messages exchanged between sinclair and pasqua the afternoon of sept. 28, 2021, they discussed his injuries, the prosecutor said.
sinclair texted: “we need him to heal then we can send him off to a facility ’cause we still need him as a paycheque,” valenzuela said.
the toddler also suffered other injuries before his death, the prosecutor told calgary court of king’s bench justice glen poelman.
“gabriel died from blunt force head trauma with resulting brain injury, and from the untreated major burn leading to sepsis,” valenzuela said.
not only was the child suffering from severe injuries for the final few days of his life, he was also “emaciated and dehydrated, with his body weight below the third percentile.”
valenzuela said: “the pattern of the burns are consistent with boiling liquid being spilled on gabriel from above and pooling in his diaper where the absorbent material of the diaper would have contained the boiling liquid and continued to burn him as the diaper remained on.
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“pasqua and sinclair admit that the harm suffered by gabriel, both the burns and blunt force trauma, were significant. the burns would have been readily apparent and visible to both accused as gabriel continued for days to suffer without treatment.”
family of gabriel sinclair-pasqua react after parents sonya pasqua and michael sinclair pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of their 18-month-old son at the calgary courts centre on monday, dec. 9, 2024.
darren makowichuk/postmedia
both admitted being negligent in the child’s care.
“pasqua and sinclair admit that their failure as parents to provide prompt medical attention was a marked and substantial departure from the standard of care expected to a parent and showed a wanton disregard for the life and safety of gabriel.”
both pasqua, 34, and sinclair, 32, remain in custody pending sentencing.
a date for their sentencing hearing will be set on dec. 20.
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