One of two people accused in the death of a Regina toddler last year has been sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison.
With credit for time served, Harley Stueck will spend six years behind bars for criminal negligence in the death of three-year-old Nylan Clarke.
Describing the case as "shocking and horrific," Judge Jeff Kalmakoff accepted a joint submission from Crown and defence lawyers Friday.
While Stueck didn't intentionally cause the boy's injuries, the 39-year-old's "callous and cruel" actions played a significant role in his death, Kalmakoff said.
He noted that despite the "glaringly obvious" deterioration of the toddler's condition, Stueck didn't seek any medical help.
Instead, he bit the boy and forced him to walk around in a bizarre attempt to heal him at home, away from public view.
Court also heard the child had been physically abused and exposed to illegal activity, including cocaine use.
After the boy died, Stueck allegedly tried to destroy evidence linking him to the crime. Police found the child's body in a van in the backyard of a Regina home last May.
"It is difficult to imagine a set of circumstances more appalling than those surrounding Nylan Clarke's death," Kalmakoff said.
Stueck, who has a lengthy record of offences, had earlier pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death. The Crown stayed three other charges, including manslaughter.
Earlier this month, the boy's mother, Anna Wilkes, was ordered to stand trial on similar charges.
