A couple convicted of failing to provide the necessaries of life for their 14-month-old son were sentenced to 32 months in prison in a Calgary courtroom on Wednesday.
A jury convicted Jennifer Clark, 42, and Jeromie Clark, 38, for the 2013 death of their young son, John after hearing the boy had been in septic shock and suffering from a staph infection and multiple organ failures.
According to a pathology report, he was malnourished and died from a staph infection.
At the time of his death, John weighed less than nine kilograms (20 pounds), had an inflamed rash covering the majority of his body and he had blackened toes.
On Wednesday, the couple sat quietly in court as the sentence was delivered.
In a written statement, the judge said that he recognized the ‘collateral consequence already suffered by the Clarks separation from their other sons’ and that a ‘fit sentence’ for the couple is 32 months in custody.
The judge also said that the Clarks displayed genuine remorse and regret but that he had to send a powerful message to all parents.
Crown prosecutor Jennifer Crews said she was disappointed that the sentence was less than they were seeking and that it is still too early to seek an appeal.
“There needs to be a message sent that parents who make decisions such as the Clarks made, there needs to be a message that they can’t make those decisions to the detriment of the child,” she said.
The judge also asked that the Clarks be allowed access to Skype or FaceTime while incarcerated to keep in contact with their other sons.
(With files from Jaclyn Brown)
