Victim 'did not fight back,' Calgary judge notes in sentencing killer to 12 years in prison
Earlier this month, Dominic Hood pleaded guilty to manslaughter in death of Marshall Rath
For 90 minutes, Dominic Hood beat and stabbed Marshall Rath, jealous that his victim had dated Hood’s new girlfriend.
“Mr. Rath did not fight back,” noted Court of King’s Bench Justice Nancy Dilts in her sentencing decision Friday.
Originally charged with second-degree murder, Hood pleaded guilty to manslaughter earlier this month. Hood admitted to beating Rath and stabbing him six times.
Hood and Rath's ex-girlfriend, Jordan Smith, took photos and videos of Rath throughout the fatal attack, treating the killing “as if it was a spectacle," said Dilts.
Dilts imposed a 12-year prison sentence, which had been jointly proposed by prosecutors Hyatt Mograbee and Elise Doherty, and defence lawyer Rebecca Snukal.
Hood got about 16 months credit for the time he spent in custody and six months credit for the time he spent on strict bail conditions.
The judge allowed Hood to hug his parents before sheriffs escorted him away.
"Lean on your family, who are offering you their love and guidance," said Dilts.
Rath 'still in love' with ex
Rath was killed on Feb. 22, 2022, days after he and Smith ended their relationship.
The pair continued to live together in the days that followed, and Smith began dating her ex, Hood.
Details of the fatal assault come from an agreed statement of facts read aloud by Doherty. According to it, Rath “was still in love with Smith.”
Photos and videos of injuries
Court heard that on the day of the killing, Hood arrived at Rath and Smith’s home.
Over the span of two days, Hood and Smith recorded several assaults on Rath.
Photos and a video showed Smith punching Rath in the face with a chain around her fist.
Smith sent the video to her cousin Harriot Johnson, who was living near Montreal.
'He was dead'
The next day, Johnson received more messages, photos and voice calls.
The photos showed Rath's bloodied face, him sitting on his bed bleeding, and Rath lying on the floor of his bedroom in a pool of blood.
At one point, Hood stepped into the hallway of the apartment building. The building’s CCTV picked up his conversation.
“I’m a f--king ninja, man,” said Hood. “He was f--king laid out … He was dead on the f--king floor … blood everywhere.”
Johnson contacted authorities to report what she believed was a murder.
When Calgary police showed up at Rath's apartment, they found his body in the bathroom.
In November 2024, Smith pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was handed a six-year sentence.
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