The daddy of a toddler who died after ingesting fentanyl within the household’s Winnipeg dwelling has pleaded responsible to manslaughter for failing to hunt medical assist in a well timed method.
The manslaughter trial for Garry Bruce was to start on Monday in entrance of Manitoba Court docket of King’s Bench Justice Christian Monnin however didn’t transfer forward as Bruce entered a responsible plea.
An agreed assertion of info introduced in courtroom mentioned it took roughly seven hours for Bruce and his associate, Sabrina Boulette, to name 911 after they seen their one-year-old daughter Hanna Boulette was sick in March 2023.
It mentioned the house was in a deplorable state, with rubbish, canine feces and drug paraphernalia scattered round. In a single occasion, officers discovered a syringe full of fentanyl in an open diaper field on the toilet flooring.
Court docket heard it’s unclear how Hanna ingested the opioid however that her demise would doubtless have been avoidable if her mother and father had sought medical intervention.
“Remedy was accessible. An antidote to opiate overdose is offered, and it’s efficient. And it has little or no long-term consequence when administered in a well timed trend in an acceptable dosage … that ought to have been executed,” mentioned Crown prosecutor Boyd McGill.
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“Mr. Bruce and Ms. Boulette collectively made the choice not to try this, and the consequence was tragic.”
Police first charged Bruce and Boulette in February 2024 after a prolonged investigation.
Court docket heard the toddler started performing listless on the morning of her demise. As time went on, Hanna started getting sicker, at which level her mother and father referred to as for assist.
Hanna was in cardiac arrest by the point paramedics arrived. She later died in hospital. An post-mortem decided that the kid died from acute fentanyl intoxication.
Bruce and Boulette devised a canopy story to inform police about what occurred as a result of they feared baby and household providers would apprehend Hanna, the agreed assertion of info mentioned. They informed officers that Hanna was left with a good friend whereas the couple was residence searching.
Boulette saved the ruse up whereas questioned by police however later confessed to what truly occurred, courtroom heard.
“Mr. Bruce didn’t intend for his baby to die. He didn’t got down to hurt her,” Bruce’s lawyer Kristen Jones informed the choose.
“The merciless, sick form of irony in telling this lie as an try to preserve (Hanna) with them when the precise impact contributed to shedding her ceaselessly, is one thing that he won’t ever forgive himself for.”
Bruce has a brief historical past of prison offences, together with one for drug trafficking in 2010.
Court docket heard Bruce has suffered from important trauma in his life. The deaths of members of the family and a contentious custody battle together with his ex-wife propelled Bruce into drug habit.
Carrying a prison-issued gray sweatsuit and his darkish hair combed again, Bruce wept via the roughly two-hour listening to.
“I’m sorry. My household is all the pieces to me. I’m so sorry,” the 40-year-old mentioned.
The Crown and Bruce’s legal professionals requested for a joint advice of a sentence of slightly below three years, or time served.
Bruce was anticipated to be formally launched later Monday.
“This matter is profoundly tragic and critical. It entails a primary failure of responsibility owed to a toddler – one of the crucial susceptible members of our society. The results of that failure are irreversible. Mr. Bruce will dwell with that … for the remainder of his life,” Monnin mentioned in giving his resolution.
Boulette earlier pleaded responsible to manslaughter and is awaiting sentencing.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
