Category: Sydney

Cape Breton sentencing

A 25 year old man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his part in the death of Laura Jessome whose body was found in a hockey bag in the Mira River in 2012.

Morgan James MacNeil pleaded guilty to manslaughter after originally being charged with second degree murder.  Justice Jamie Campbell ordered the sentence be served consecutively to other sentences MacNeil is serving for two armed robberies and other crimes.  He still has five years to serve on them.

Thomas Ted Barrett is also facing trial for second degree murder in Jessome’s killing.  He’ll be in court next month when a trial date will be set.  Barrett is currently serving a life sentence for killing Brett Elizabeth McKinnon of Glace Bay in 2006.

Suspicious Cape Breton fire

Police are investigating a suspicious fire on the weekend.

They were called by the Sydney Mines fire department Saturday afternoon to assist with traffic at the Francis Funeral Home on Main Street.

The building was vacant at the time and nobody was hurt.  Fire investigators have deemed the blaze suspicious and referred it to the police arson investigator.