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May 2, 2022 • 11 hours ago • 4 minutes reading Robert Ashley Williams, left, and Derek Schafflarski
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Society can learn from the “senseless” death of Derek Schafflarski, the judge said.
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On weekends, London’s busiest entertainment district, which is “full of people under the influence of alcohol and other substances”, can explode for the slightest reason.
“Conflicts of all kinds can turn into a toxic cocktail that leaves many vulnerable to injury and loss of life,” said Supreme Court Justice Michael MacArthur. “Exactly what happened here.”
Schafflarski, a popular personal trainer and friend of many, was stabbed by 39-year-old Robert Ashley Williams, who was convicted of second-degree murder by a jury last month. On Monday, MacArthur sentenced Williams to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years, the minimum term for non-parole under the law.
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Williams has been in custody for four days after Schafflarski collapsed from a stab wound to the heart after a brief, random battle between two strangers in the lobby of a Richmond Street store near Piccadilly Street on May 26, 2018. Williams is due to serve another six years in imprisonment until he manages to file his first application for parole.
This photo, introduced in court as evidence, shows the scene of Richmond Rowe in central London hours after a late clash in May 2018, which led to the piercing death of Derek Schafflarski.
What struck MacArthur was how quickly the night turned violent and how Schafflarski lost his life in “literally a moment in time, just seconds” after a happy night celebrating his 27th birthday.
“It was nothing more than an unbridled insult to Mr Williams and Mr Schafflarski. “Neither of them was looking for a fight tonight,” MacArthur said.
Williams was driving south on Richmond during a closing in the entertainment district when Schafflarski, who was out with two girlfriends, crossed the road to Piccadilly in front of Williams’ white Nissan sedan. Williams and Schafflarski started shouting at each other, forcing Williams to stop his car, get out, and head for the west sidewalk, where he pulled out a knife and locked the blade in place.
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Schafflarski ran back across the street and rushed Williams into the lobby of the store, where they quarreled briefly. Williams stabbed Shaflarski five times before the two parted ways. Schafflarski stumbled across the street to his friends, where he landed. He was rushed to hospital but died of blood loss.
Williams fled the area and found himself in a friend’s apartment, where he changed. He and his wife, Julie Hudson, then drove to St. Thomas Elgin Hospital. He needed surgery on his injured arm in a London hospital. He turned himself in to police four days later.
A day after the jury convicted Williams, several friends read statements about the victim’s impact on the first day of Williams’ sentencing hearing, talking about their close friendship with Schafflarski and his optimistic, enthusiastic embrace of life.
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More statements about the impact of the victims were read by Assistant Royal Advocate James Spangenberg on Monday, including one of Schafflaski Karen’s mother, who wrote: “There is not a single person I know who has not loved Derek.
She writes about coming to London in the days after her son’s death and how his friends helped her trace his last moments on Richmond Rowe. She was unable to attend the trial in person and described how difficult it was to watch the discussion about her son’s death in a teleconference from the courtroom.
“It was so devastating,” she wrote. “My life will never be the same.”
Spangenberg proposed a 17-year parole, arguing that Williams’ knife use, post-criminal behavior and his unrelated criminal record on drug trafficking in the United States pushed the sentence to the upper range of second-degree murder.
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However, MacArthur agreed with defense attorney Chris Uvagbow’s argument that the period of parole should be at an all-time low because, as McArthur said, Williams came to court as “prosocial, caring and networked.” from friends “and” this event was unusual and was far beyond Mr Williams’ character. “
Uwagboe also relies on the jury’s recommendation. When asked to decide how long the parole should be, five said 15 years, but the other seven did not comment, “which means the court should not treat any recommendation like 10 years.”
“If this case was a model of dangerous behavior and prolonged use of weapons, this court would not hesitate to consider increased periods of parole, as recommended by the Crown. That’s not the case here, “MacArthur said.
But he added: “This is an expensive lesson for you, Mr Williams, and it should be a clear signal to those who rely on luck more than common sense. Literally everyone is vulnerable when restraint is abandoned. “
MacArthur told Williams that he hoped “you will take advantage of this” and make reparations for. . . the type of damage and destruction that has occurred as a result of misjudgments and in seconds.
“This is a very, very tragic event,” the judge said.
jsims@postmedia.com
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