A man convicted of killing a prominent Collingwood realtor in June 2022 is facing sentencing as his trial gets underway in a Barrie courtroom on Tuesday.
John Edward Collins, who was initially charged with first-degree murder, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of his former lover, 55-year-old Kinga ‘Kay’ Kriston.
During the trial, the court heard that Collins had joined Kriston in bed on June 10, 2022, at her Collingwood home before the violent altercation took place. He struck her multiple times with a golf club as she screamed and pleaded with him. The court also heard that the then 57-year-old man punched her multiple times before the scuffle moved to the floor, where he strangled her.
Collins stayed in the house with Kriston’s body for five days before a friend of Kriston went to check on her, found the gruesome scene, and alerted the authorities.
Last month, the court heard victim impact statements from Kriston’s family, including her ex-husband, who told the court how their daughter never got to share the news with her mom about being accepted to university.
The Crown submitted a request for life in prison with a minimum of 16 years before Collins is eligible for parole.
The sentencing of John Edward Collins for the second-degree murder of Kinga ‘Kay’ Kriston began in a Barrie courtroom, where details of the gruesome crime were presented. The court heard how Collins had violently attacked Kriston in her own home, leaving her family devastated and seeking justice for her untimely death. The Crown has requested a life sentence for Collins with a minimum of 16 years before parole eligibility.