CALGARY -- A Calgary father found negligent in the death of his 14-month-old son has been granted parole eight months into his sentence.
Jeromie Clark and his wife were each sentenced in June to 32 months in prison.
The Parole Board of Canada decided earlier this month to grant Jeromie Clark day parole and, once he is eligible, full parole.
The board says Clark has made strides in dealing with loss and grief and in gaining insights into events leading up to his son John's death.
At trial, a forensic pathologist's report said the toddler was malnourished and died from a staph infection.
No parole decision has been made yet for Jennifer Clark.
Both are appealing their sentences and convictions.
While on day parole, Jeromie Clark plans to live in a basement apartment rent-free and has been accepted to live in a community residential facility as an alternative.
Usually offenders are eligible for full parole after they have served one-third of their sentence or seven years, whichever is less.
The board notes Clark was in the community for 4.5 years before he was sentenced without any concerns.
"It is the board's opinion that you will not present an undue risk to society if released on day and full parole and that your release will contribute to the protection of society by facilitating your reintegration into society as a law-abiding citizen," the board said in its Feb. 6 decision.
A jury found the Clarks guilty in the fall of 2018 of criminal negligence causing death and failure to provide the necessaries of life.
The trial heard John wasn't taken to a doctor until the day before he died in November 2013.
Jurors saw photos of the dead boy with a red rash all over his body and with blackened toes. They were also shown screen shots of online searches for natural remedies for gangrene, such as cabbage leaves and cayenne.
The couple's lawyers argued at trial that doctors at the Alberta Children's Hospital were to blame because they raised the boy's sodium and fluid levels too aggressively.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2020
