Consecutive life sentences for Dellen Millard and Mark Smich

Consecutive life sentences were handed down to Dellen Millard and Mark Smich for the murders of Tim Bosma and Laura Babcock, meaning the killers will spend at least 50 years in prison before they’re eligible for parole.

The judge wished Millard and Smich well in prison and the moment he left the room and the door shut behind him the side of the courtroom full of the Bosma and Babcock families erupted in clapping and cheers.

The murder of Tim Bosma was sufficiently different from the murder of Laura Babcock, that the two murders deserved different sentences, the judge told the court as he read his reasons for imposing consecutive, not concurrent sentences. The only similarity between the murders was the use of a large animal incinerator to dispose of both bodies, the judge said. Also, the mitigating factors the offenders put forward were not persuasive.

“In my view, Millard is skillful and clever in deploying pro-social behaviour when it is to his advantage. The overwhelming weight of evidence, is that he is profoundly amoral and dangerous,” the judge said.

Smich is more complicated, but he “was enthusiastically involved in the murder of Laura Babcock, both before and after its commission.”

Laura Babcock’s father, Clayton Babcock said that his family was disappointed that Dellen Millard’s girlfriend, Christina Noudga did not face any charges in this case.

Dellen Millard will be back in court in April for the murder of his father.