Ed. note: this story contains graphic details of a violent crime.

A 24-year-old Watson Lake man convicted of second-degree murder will be ineligible for parole for 10 years of his life sentence.

Travis Byron Dennis appeared in Yukon Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon to be sentenced by chief justice Ron Veale.

Eric Marcoux and Paul Battin represented the Crown, with Marcoux appearing by phone from Ottawa.

David McWhinnie and Norah Mooney appeared for the defence.

Dennis pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the July 16, 2016 death of Andy Giraudel, 36. His May 30 guilty plea was based on an agreed statement of facts.

The Crown and the defence presented a joint submission for sentencing, calling for the 10-year parole ineligibility.

Veale said a judge should not deviate from a joint submission unless he or she feels it would put the reputation of the court into disrepute.

The justice felt this case was aggravating due to how Giraudel was killed, as well as the fact that Dennis dismembered his body. These actions prevented the family from giving him a proper burial.

Veale read out the facts of the case.

Both Giraudel and Dennis were drinking the night before at Dennis’s residence on July 13, 2016.

The next morning, the two men left the residence to walk a trail, where tension between the two men exploded.

Dennis told the RCMP he had a deep hatred of Giraudel. He alleged that Giraudel had sexually assaulted him on two occasions. These allegations have not been proved.

Dennis told police that Giraudel had made a disparaging remark about his mother’s death, which caused him to snap.

Dennis stabbed Giraudel 25 times in the chest and back, with these wounds causing acute hemorrhaging in the chest wall.

Some of the wounds, which occurred before dismemberment, were between nine and 11 cm deep.

Dennis admitted to cutting Giraudel’s body into seven pieces and putting into orange garbage bags to hide them.

Dennis later turned himself in and confessed to the murder.

During the sentencing hearing on Aug. 10, Giraudel’s family read out their victim impact statements.

Giraudel’s mother, Jeanicia Moskaluk, had her statement read out by a territorial victim services worker.

In the statement, she said she has lost her trust in people and feels alone. She said she has isolated herself as a result.

Moskaluk said her son’s death has caused her blood sugars to get worse, which has affected her vision. She wanted to go back to work but cannot due to her vision problems.

Moskaluk said her son took care of her, helping her with her medications.

Her grief was severe enough that she fainted during the hearing.

Giraudel’s sister, Andrea Moskaluk, said she is angry.

She said her brother was stolen from her. She added her mother has taken the death hard, saying Jeanicia still talks as if it’s 2016.

She feels she has also lost her mother because of the crime.

She expressed a deep hatred for Dennis and his family. She feels Dennis brought up the sexual assault allegation to justify butchering her brother.

She said there is no sentence severe enough for Dennis to atone for his actions.

Veale thanked the family members for their statements, saying it was important to know how they have been affected.

Moving ahead to his sentencing decision Wednesday, Veale reviewed Dennis’ circumstances.

Dennis is a member of the Dease River First Nation and has suffered some childhood trauma. His family has a history of Indigenous residential schools on both his mother’s and father’s sides.

His mother was an alcoholic who is deceased. Her death had a negative impact on her son – Dennis said he never experienced closure.

On his father’s side, Dennis’ grandparents were both sent to residential schools. The family never discussed their issues.

“He clearly suffered the generational effect of residential schools,” Veale said.

Dennis himself has suffered from memory issues for all of his life. He drinks and smokes marijuana.

Veale said Dennis has suicidal thoughts and was bullied in jail.

During his time in custody, Dennis has taken counselling as well as every course and program available to him.

Veale said Dennis is having some trouble with remorse, but has said he wishes he could take back his actions.

Veale believes Dennis needs treatment. He said the most-needed treatment is for substance abuse, depression and anxiety.

The justice next listed the aggravating factors as the 25 stab wounds, the dismemberment of Giraudel’s body and indignity to the family.

He recognized several mitigating factors. Denis was 23 at the time of the murder, with no criminal record.

This meant the act was out of character, Veale said. He also credited him for both turning himself in and pleading guilty.

Veale next addressed the joint submission. No matter what, he said, Dennis will serve a life sentence.

The decision before him, as the presiding justice, was to determine how long Dennis will be ineligible for parole.

He clarified it does not mean he will automatically get parole; it just determines when he can apply for it.

The justice explained he could go higher than the proposed 10 years, to a maximum of 25 years. He said he must recognize that the joint submission was achieved because Dennis pleaded guilty.

He explained that because Dennis came forward, the police were able to solve the case.

Had he not, there is doubt that a murder charge would have been laid.

Veale recognized that despite Dennis having a self-described “deep hatred” of Giraudel, over alleged sexual assaults, he has expressed regret and empathy to the family.

Veale concluded the 10-year parole ineligibility is appropriate, and does not put the justice system into disrepute.

“He (Dennis) will be in prison or on parole for the rest of his life,” Veale said.

The justice also made several orders.

Dennis must give a DNA sample for a national database. He will be subject to a 10-year firearm ban.

He is ordered to return any of Giraudel’s personal items in his possession to the victim’s family.

The last order is that Dennis must be referred to an Aboriginal intervention centre.

Veale also imposed a $200 victim fine surcharge.