MANDEL: Does love triangle axe murderer deserve chance at early parole?

At the heart of this faint hope hearing are a couple of tough questions: Do we really believe in rehabilitation — or punishment? Do killers deserve a chance at getting a chance at earlier parole?

Or is doing their time the very least they can do?

A jury must mull those questions and more as they heard two powerful closing addresses with starkly different versions of axe killer Nicola Puddicombe.

‘Remorseless murderer’

“Nicola Puddicombe is a remorseless murderer,” prosecutor Alice Bradstreet charged. “Until just last week, she had never admitted any real role in this crime. For the very first time, ever, before the 12 of you, the 12 responsible for deciding this application, she acknowledged limited involvement and feigned limited remorse.

“The Crown says it is too little, too late.”

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On Oct. 27, 2006, Dennis Hoy, 36, was bludgeoned to death while asleep in the bed of his long-time girlfriend after Puddicombe plotted his gruesome death with her much younger and besotted lover, Ashleigh Pechaluk. Both women were eventually arrested but Pechaluk — accused of actually wielding the blunt end of the axe — was acquitted after her confession was excluded due to a Charter violation.

First-degree murder conviction

In 2009, a jury rejected Puddicombe’s story that she’d been in the shower and the GO Transit officer must have been killed by one of his nefarious biker enemies. Currently in minimum security and two years into a new relationship with a fellow female killer, Puddicombe is serving life for first-degree murder with no chance of parole before 25 years.

But fortunately for her, under the faint-hope clause of the Criminal Code — later repealed in 2011 — lifers can apply for release after serving 15 years if they can convince a jury they’ve been rehabilitated.

“You will decide if Nicola Puddicombe will be eligible to apply for parole before May 16, 2032,” Superior Court Justice Robert Goldstein instructed jurors. “You will not be deciding whether Nicola Puddicombe will be released. That will be up to the National Parole Board to determine.”

Sincere, accepted responsibility

Defence lawyer Mitchell Huberman argued Puddicombe was sincere when she took the stand and accepted responsibility. “She attributed it to being a coward, of not being able to solve her way out of the tumultuous love triangle she got herself into.”

While Puddicombe maintained she was abused by her partner of 11 years, her lawyer said she never used that to justify Hoy’s murder. Still, Huberman asked jurors to consider her childhood of witnessing domestic violence and her relationship history with two boyfriends who pushed her around. “In order to have done incredible damage, one typically needs to have been incredibly damaged.”

He suggested Pechaluk came up with the murder plan, despite her blaming Puddicombe at her trial, and reminded the jury that she’s never been held accountable. “Ashleigh Pechaluk got away with murder,” he said.

But Puddicombe isn’t bitter, Huberman said. She’s a model inmate who has “evolved, progressed and matured over the years” and is determined to spend the rest of her life atoning for what she did.

“There is little societal benefit to have Ms. Puddicombe wait another 6 1/2 years in minimum security until she can apply for parole. The only thing that would achieve at this point is vengeance,” he argued. “Do not slam the door shut on rehabilitation.”

Prosecutor’s warning

Don’t get taken in, warned the prosecutor.

“For 19 years, she has stayed true to the story she hatched and she wants you to believe that it’s pure coincidence that she changed her tune just days before this hearing began,” Bradstreet said. “This was no coincidence. This is who Nicola Puddicombe is. This is who Nicola Puddicombe has always been: intelligent, hard-working yes, but also manipulative, dishonest and most importantly, interested in herself and only herself.”

Just four days after Hoy’s death, she was looking to collect on his life insurance policy. She never contacted his family or attended his funeral. And even now, she claims the murder was all Pechaluk’s idea and she only gave in at the end,

“You cannot trust a word that she says,” the prosecutor warned. “Each and every lie has been to serve her own interests. In reality she plotted and planned for months.”

Puddicombe knew she needed to take some accountability or she’d have no chance at early release. But she hasn’t really changed and doesn’t deserve their mercy, Bradstreet insisted. “Dennis’s head was caved in with the blunt end of an axe six times because of Nicola Puddicombe. And she’s shown no real remorse.

“Instead of worrying if she’ll commit another offence, let’s focus on whether she’s served her time for this one,” the Crown  concluded. “Mr. Huberman was right — this is not about vengeance. I submit to you, this is about justice.”

The jury is expected to start deliberating Thursday.

mmandel@postmedia.com