A Vancouver man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in his younger brother’s death has been sentenced to time in a drug rehab facility as part of three years’ probation, a Vancouver Provincial Court judge ruled Wednesday.
“This is an extremely tragic case that caused extreme pain,” Judge Kathryn Denhoff said.
Alexander Tyson Trimble was originally charged with both second-degree murder and manslaughter in the June 5, 2022, death of brother Zachary Trimble.
Denhoff said Trimble has accepted responsibility for his actions.
“He has been riddled with guilt,” the judge said. “Mr. Trimble by all accounts has hit rock bottom.”
Trimble was arrested that same day after Vancouver police responded to reports of an assault at a home near Bruce Street and East 49th Avenue.
The call came in shortly before 3 a.m.
Once on scene, police discovered a 23-year-old man badly injured outside the house. He later died from his injuries.
In passing sentence, Denhoff said Trimble disliked his brother’s spouse and that a dispute had involved a PlayStation video game unit.
The judge said Trimble was highly intoxicated at the time. The dispute ended with Trimble slashing at his brother’s head with a knife.
She said Trimble has no memory of the incident due to his level of intoxication.
Denhoff said a deterrence for Trimble exists in the fact “he killed his only brother and best friend.”
She said Trimble had a traumatic childhood and struggled with alcohol abuse since age 12.
“He witnessed his father attempt to kill his mother,” Denhoff said, later adding Trimble’s grandparents were in residential schools.
And, she said, Trimble has dealt with depression and suicidal thinking since childhood.
“This is how his traumatic upbringing has impacted him,” Denhoff said.
The judge said Trimble’s mother said her “heart had been shattered” by the events.
Denhoff said the parents, both of whom are now sober, have lost one son to manslaughter and the other to incarceration.
Still, she said, Trimble has been sober since he has been in jail and has repeatedly expressed a desire to stay that way.
Denhoff told Trimble he must stay in rehab for at least six months.
She also banned him from entering any alcohol-selling establishment.
Denhoff noted Trimble has spent 963 days in custody. That is credited at 1.5 as pre-sentence time meaning he's served almost four years behind bars, Denhoff said.
