A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison for a fatal stabbing in a downtown St. John’s boarding house more than three years ago.
Forty-two-year-old Rayna Dove was stabbed to death by David Quirke in the early morning hours of December 27, 2021 on Cookstown Road, in a dispute over a butter knife that quickly escalated.
The judge said while the victim may have initially provoked Quirke, his response was unreasonable and disproportionate.
That said, Quirke did call 911 for help and stayed with Dove until police and paramedics arrived. He also had no previous criminal record before the incident but had been diagnosed with a number of mental health issues.
Quirke originally pleaded not guilty to the charge of second-degree murder, but later pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter, which means he never meant to kill her.
In fact, the judge also noted the killing may have been at least partially the result of their living situation, which he said they appeared to fear more than each other.
With credit for time already served, Quirke has about three years left in his sentence.