Man gets life sentence for killing wife at Christmas
By Lethbridge Herald on November 1, 2023.
A police vehicle is parked in front of a home on 13th Ave. N. last December. David Dragland, who pleaded guilty to stabbing his wife to death has received a life sentence in a federal prison.
Herald file photoDelon Shurtz – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – dshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com
A 60-year-old Lethbridge man who stabbed his wife to death while their two grandchildren played nearby has received a life sentence in a federal prison.
David Dragland, who often wiped tears from his eyes, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Lethbridge Court of King’s Bench to one count of second-degree murder, where he was told he won’t be eligible for parole for 13-and-a-half years.
Reading from an agreed statement of facts, Crown Prosecutor Michael Fox said Dragland, his wife Shelley, as well as their daughter and her two young children, were at Dragland’s home on Dec. 27 of last year. Dragland had invited them over despite being on a peace bond prohibiting him from having any contact with his wife.
“Over the three-year period preceding Shelley Dragland’s killing, she was using illegal narcotics, which led to many arguments, and Shelley Dragland was in and out of David Dragland’s life,” Fox said. “He described their relationship as being toxic.”
Fox told court Dragland had been drinking vodka at a neighbour’s residence, but returned to his own house before his family arrived that afternoon, only two days after Christmas.
After a few hours, however, Dragland grew angry.
“The evening passed and David Dragland began to become upset with Shelley Dragland because she was delaying driving (his daughter) and her children home.”
At about 11:20 p.m., while Dragland, his wife and their daughter were sitting at a table near the kitchen, and while the children played in the hallway, Dragland stood up, went to the pantry and grabbed a knife with a 10-inch blade. He returned to the table and as Shelley started to rise, Dragland stabbed her in the back, chest and abdomen.
“As he was stabbing her, (their daughter) heard her father say, ‘this is for everything you’ve done to me for three years.’”
When Dragland was done stabbing his wife he dropped the knife on the table and called 911.
“I just stabbed my wife,” he told the operator.
Shortly afterward, Dragland’s daughter called 911 to report the stabbing and said she believed her mother was dead. Her crying eight-year-old son also got on the phone and said, “grandpa did something bad and grandma died.”
Fox noted that while Dragland admits he intended to kill his wife while he stabbed her, the murder was not planned.
Lethbridge lawyer Darcy Shurtz told court his client acknowledged his guilt from the outset and always intended to take responsibility for his crime. And while Dragland understands he will likely never be forgiven, he wants his family and his wife’s family to know he’s remorseful.
Shurtz pointed out Dragland and his wife raised three children, as well as a special needs child whom they raised as their own for 15 years. And during their 40 years or marriage, they never had any issues up to the time his client had been placed on a peace bond.
“He was a contributing member of society.”
Dragland was, however, dealing with his mental health at the time, Shurtz said, noting that while that does not excuse his crime, it provides some context for his actions.
In addition to his sentence, Dragland must provide a sample of his DNA for the National DNA Data Bank, and he is prohibited from possessing weapons for life.
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