Murder – Sentencing

 

Two Kingston man have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 36 year old Mark Ian Bramley in September of 2015.

32 year old Derrick Blackett and 28 year old Shawn Brown pleaded guilty yesterday and were sentenced to serve at least 12 years behind bars before they’re eligible for parole.

Bramley…who was also known as Mark Seymour was stabbed in a robbery attempt in a Division Street apartment.

Police were able to track the men through balaclavas they were wearing and DNA on cigarette butts investigators collected after the murder.

 

Video – Girls Fighting

 

Kingston Police are investigating a fight involving girls that took place in McCullough Park last Sunday afternoon.  Police received several 9-1-1 calls about the fight…but it had broken up by the time they arrived at the west end park.

A video of the fight surfaced online but has since been taken down.

In the video you can hear a parent apparently encouraging her daughter to keep fighting.

The mother of one of the girls says she has been the victim of bullying and can’t believe adults at the fight didn’t stop it.

Police say those involved could face charges.

 

Naloxone Kits – Kingston/Central Frontenac

 

Municipalities are continuing to deal with the increasing number of opioid overdoses by training staff and having access to Naloxone kits.

Naloxone kits will be located with automated external defibrillators in all of Kingston’s public facilities, including arenas, fitness and community centers.  There will be two kits at each location and they’re due to be installed today.

 

Central Frontenac has just announced its fire trucks will be equipped with naloxone kits.

Fire Chief Greg Robinson says it will be administered by firefighters who are currently receiving training. He says the kits should be on fire trucks in Central Frontenac by March 1st.

 

Feb Fest

 

Feb Fest gets underway in Kingston tonight with the annual Carr-Harris Cup at the Rogers K-Rock Centre.  RMC and Queen’s clash in one of the world’s oldest hockey rivalries.

Activities continue tomorrow with an award winning ice sculptor in Springer Market Square. A DJ will be providing the sound track for Friday and Saturday night skating and the Imagination on Ice Show featuring Elvis Stojko takes place at 1p.m. on Saturday.

 

 

 

 

Transgender Inmates

 

Changes are being made in the way Corrections Canada treats transgender prisoners.

The changes mean offenders will now be placed in a men’s or women’s facility, based on how they self-identify.  The government added “gender identity and expression” to the list of prohibited grounds for discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act last year.  The changes also mean correctional staff must address transgender inmates by their preferred name and pronoun.

 

Anthem Change

 

Canada’s national anthem is now gender neutral.

A bill to change the wording in O Canada passed third and final reading in the Senate yesterday.

The line in the anthem that says…”in all thy sons command”…is being changed to…”in all of us command”.

The legislation now only requires formal royal assent before it becomes law.