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Lethbridge man pleads guilty to manslaughter

Nov 28, 2016 | 4:13 PM

LETHBRIDGE – It was a tearful afternoon (Nov. 28) in Court of Queen’s Bench, as Randall William Enright entered a plea of guilty to manslaughter.

The plea comes more than a year after 29-year old Matthew James Flitton was killed in his north side home on September 18, 2015.

Matthew Flitton had agreed to let Enright stay in his home, after he had been kicked out of his girlfriend’s home because of a “three month meth binge.”

The day Flitton was killed, his wife – whom he had been separated from for about six months at that time – stopped by the house and learned that Enright was staying there. Flitton acknowledged that Enright had been paranoid, and that he had even taken the step of hiding all the knives in the house as a result. When she asked why he was letting Enright stay, Flitton responded, “Because he is a friend and that’s what friends do.”

Later that evening, Flitton would miss a family gathering, followed by another meeting with friends the next morning. Friends also started noticing that Enright was using Flitton’s phone, Facebook account and even his truck, prompting them to contact police and express their concerns.

On September 19, Lethbridge Police went to Flitton’s home to check on his welfare. Both doors were locked, and after gaining access to the home, they found Flitton’s body in a pool of blood by the back door.

An autopsy would later show that Flitton had been stabbed 14 times, with injuries to his chest, back, thighs and hands. It was noted that there were few signs of a struggle, and that Flitton likely died very quickly as a result of blood loss.

After fatally stabbing Flitton, Enright told a number of people what he had done, crying as he told one individual, “I killed somebody,” and adding that he didn’t know why.

Enright was arrested on September 19, following a short standoff with police.

After the details of the case were revealed to the court, Justice R. Jerke suggested a short break. As he left the courtroom a man approached the prisoner’s box, hit the glass and yelled at Enright, “You’re f***ing dead!”

Before moving into sentencing, Flitton’s parents took the stand to deliver their victim impact statements.

“We will never get over it, hopefully we can learn to live with it,” said his father.

“My faith in mankind, in goodwill, are shattered,” his mother added through tears. “My life is empty without him.”

Flitton’s sister also discussed her life since the loss of her brother, saying holidays and family gatherings are now a painful reminder that he is gone. She stated, “I learned that monsters exist,” adding, “He was trapped in a house of horrors with a monster he had tried to help.”

Enright was also given a chance to speak, reading a statement he had prepared to the court and Flitton’s family.

“I stand here before the court today, a man ashamed to be here. I wish everyday it didn’t happen and I wouldn’t be in this nightmare I caused,” Enright stated.

“My whole life revolved around drugs,” he continued. “All (Flitton) was doing was being a good friend when nobody else would.

“With my time I’m gonna do whatever I can to fix myself,” he added.

Moving into the sentencing portion of the proceedings, the Crown stated that they are seeking 14 years in custody for Enright. The defence countered by suggesting a term of seven-and-a-half to 10 years.

Noting the significant difference in the two recommendations, Justice R. Jerke said he would need time to carefully consider his decision, and adjourned it to December 20.