Manslaughter conviction upheld for Calgary grandfather who killed grandson

The conviction of a Calgary man who beat his grandson to death following months of abuse has been upheld by Alberta’s top court, Global News reports.

Sixty-year old Allan Perdomo Lopez, was convicted of manslaughter after he killed his five-year-old grandson Emilio Perdomo on July 9, 2015. The boy suffered a catastrophic brain injury. Perdomo Lopez was given a nine-year prison sentence for his heinous act.

The boy, who was from Mexico, was sent to live with his grandfather a few months before the incident, as his mother thought he would live a better life in Canada.

Perdomo Lopez appealed his conviction, arguing the trial judge should have dismissed his conviction for multiple reasons which delayed the trial which he deemed was “unreasonable”.

However, an appeal court panel concluded that the delay was mostly caused by the defense. Adding "His inefficiencies further contributed to the delay and complexity of the case."

Evidence that Emilio had been the victim of months of physical abuse while in the company of his grandfather was put before the judge. When Emilio was taken to hospital, nurses noticed his body was full of bruises and scars which were in varying stages of healing.

A witness who testified before the court said that he saw the boy deteriorate until he was barely capable of walking and had a bandage on his head. The man worked at a flea market where Perdomo Lopez shopped.

Perdomo Lopez now plans to have his nine-year jail sentence appealed, now that he's dealt with the conviction appeal.