A Toronto man who strangled his mother to death while he was out on bail and living with her as a condition of his release has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years.
Michael Rawlins, 29, pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of his mother, Joy Barnwell, on Monday.
The 70-year-old was the founding member of Immigrant Women in Business and was passionate about helping underserved women, including those who have gone through domestic violence.
According to an agreed statement of facts read out in court, police received a 911 call for a medical complaint from the victim’s son around 8:15 p.m. on Jan. 18, 2023.
Rawlins reported that Barnwell was not breathing.
When first responders arrived at unit 101 at 1555 Finch Ave. E., they found Rawlins in the hallway of the suite. Barnwell was behind him, lying on her back, not moving.
First responders noticed that the couch in the living room had blood stains on it and observed that Barnwell had a scarf tied around her neck with blood on it.
After untying the scarf, first responders realized that Barnwell had no vital signs. Rawlins was in the bedroom.
One of them asked, “What did you do to her? We need to know, did you strangle her?” and Rawlins responded: “Yes, I did.”
‘Barnwell was his surety’
Rawlins, who court heard was Barnwell’s adoptive son, was handcuffed in the lobby of the building.
One of the paramedics asked how long she had been unconscious before he called 911. Rawlins said, “10 minutes,” and told paramedics he had put a knife in a garbage can in his bedroom.
Paramedics tried to resuscitate Barnwell. An autopsy revealed her cause of death to be neck compression.
The following day, Rawlins provided a videotaped statement to police and advised a detective that he had returned home on the morning of Jan. 18 after completing a night shift at Purolator. He slept, played video games and in the evening, had an argument with his mother.
“He said his mother said things that were hurtful. He hit her with open and closed hands around her neck. He used her scarf and an extension cord around her neck to strangle her. He then stabbed her in the neck with a small paring knife after strangling her and he put the knife in the garbage,” assistant Crown attorney Emma Haydon told court, reading from the facts.
“Barnwell was his surety at the time of her death for an intimate partner violence charge,” Haydon said, adding that Rawlins was also breaching a no-contact order with the complainant by seeing her in person and contacting her by telephone.
Joy Barnwell, 70, died in January 2023. Her son has been sentenced to life in prison for her murder.
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Court heard on March 26, 2024, Rawlins pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm to that outstanding charge and was sentenced to five-months pretrial custody. At the time of the murder, Rawlins had no criminal record.
Haydon read out three victim impact statements filed by family members who remembered Barnwell as a mother who never gave up on her son and was committed to equal rights for all.
“This horrific, senseless murder was committed by her own son who was twice her height and weight. Her adopted son whom she gave her all from childhood to adulthood,” wrote Vernis Barnwell, Joy’s older sister.
“In the end, she couldn’t save herself from him. She died at the hands of a son she loved dearly,” Vernis said, adding she has suffered pain, anger and anguish since “the senseless slaughter” of her sister.
Lisa Barnwell, the victim’s niece, wrote that Joy’s life “was centred around social justice and youth. She adopted her son from St. Vincent. She poured in resources to make her son’s life valuable and successful. A beloved matriarch who suffered a premature and unnecessary death.”
‘She was an open-hearted mother’
The Crown and defence jointly submitted that the appropriate sentence should be life in prison with a parole ineligibility period of 10 years, the mandatory minimum sentence for second-degree murder.
Haydon explained to Superior Court Justice Maureen Forestell that the aggravating factors of this case would normally take them away from the mandatory minimum. However, she said information received about Rawlins’ background and his guilty plea led them to agree upon the sentence, which saves family members from being called as witnesses and having to sit through a trial.
Rawlins’ defence lawyer, John Kaldas, told court Barnwell adopted Rawlins when he was 18 months old because his birth mother was unable to care for him.
Kaldas explained that Rawlins’ IQ is at the fourth percentile, saying he operates at a Grade 2 level for spelling and math.
“Compounding these challenges is he’s fairly articulate, which can disguise some of his shortcomings,” Kaldas said.
He also noted that Rawlins has been involved with police and treated in hospital for mental health issues.
Kaldas told court that Rawlins, who is now 29, completed high school, has been involved in the Special Olympics for years and was able to obtain employment loading trucks at Purolator.
Kaldas pointed out that the mother of the woman Rawlins assaulted was in the courtroom, as was her daughter, and upon his release from prison, Rawlins will have the support of their family.
“This tragedy was out of character for him,” Kaldas said, pointing out that before the offence, he had no criminal record.
Before the sentence was handed down, Rawlins stood up and apologized for murdering his mother.
“I would just like to say that I’m remorseful and I understand that my actions have damaged and hurt my family,” he said, asking for forgiveness.
Forestell agreed to the joint submission and sentenced Rawlins to life in prison a parole ineligibility period of 10 years.
“Mr. Rawlins was living with his mother. She was acting as his surety. Rawlins struck his mother several times, strangled her with an extension cord and stabbed her in the neck. He confessed almost immediately. She was an open-hearted mother, forever giving and forgiving,” Forestell said.
In speaking about evidence of his character, Forestell notes that he has been found to have intellectual delays and a history of mental health issues resulting in psychiatric admissions.
Forestell told court that while it is aggravating that Barnwell was vulnerable and was attacked in her home, a breach of trust by her son, she balanced it against the guilty plea, considered an expression of remorse, and the mental and intellectual challenges that have been identified.
“There is no sentence I could impose that could ever compensate the family of Ms. Barnwell or their friends for their loss. It doesn’t mean Mr. Rawlins will be released after 10 years. This is a sentence of life in prison,” Forestell said.
“At 10 years, it will be up to the parole board whether he can be released.”