Man gets time served for toddler’s fentanyl death in Winnipeg

Winnipeg Man Sentenced for Manslaughter in Toddler’s Death

A Winnipeg man, Garry Daniel Adrian Bruce, will serve no additional jail time after waiting nearly eight hours to call 911 when his toddler ingested a fatal dose of fentanyl.

Bruce pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of his 23-month-old daughter, Hanna, in 2023. He was sentenced on Monday to nearly three years in custody, which he has already completed.

During the court proceedings, Bruce, 40, wiped tears from his face as details of Hanna’s death were shared. She died in their garbage-filled duplex home on Stella Avenue.

Bruce’s wife, Sabrina Boulette, has also pleaded guilty but has not yet been sentenced. Justice Christian Monnin stated that Bruce failed to fulfill the “basic duty owed to a child,” leading to Hanna’s “profoundly tragic” death.

“The consequences of that failure are irreversible,” Monnin said. “Mr. Bruce will have to live with the consequences of that for the rest of his life.”

According to an agreed statement of facts, Boulette noticed Hanna appeared “listless” around 10 a.m. on March 23. Over the next seven hours, Hanna’s condition worsened, and she “clearly needed emergency medical treatment.”

Bruce did not call 911 until about 5:45 p.m. He and Boulette told emergency responders there were no drugs in the home, claiming they had left Hanna with a babysitter while they looked at apartments. They said they returned to find the babysitter gone and Hanna in distress.

The couple’s story unraveled during police interviews. Officers found their apartment in “deplorable condition,” filled with drug paraphernalia, garbage, and dog feces.

“There were numerous hazards for anyone, let alone a toddler,” Crown attorney Boyd McGill said in court.

An autopsy confirmed that Hanna died from fentanyl intoxication. “It is unclear exactly how Hanna ingested fentanyl,” McGill stated. “What is clear is that by not seeking immediate medical assistance, life-saving Naloxone was not administered in time.”

Defence lawyer Kristen Jones claimed Boulette “pressured” Bruce to maintain the babysitter story, fearing that Child and Family Services would take Hanna away. Jones noted it is “cruel irony” that their lies contributed to losing her forever.

Boulette, 39, has also pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is awaiting sentencing. In a letter to the court, she expressed her guilt, stating, “As a mother, I failed tremendously… I will not try to blame anyone but myself.”