Man who killed Banff attacker used ‘excessive force’; sentence: two years of house arrest

Several members of Ryden Bragden’s family left the courthouse angrily after it was announced that the man who killed their loved one would not go to prison.

On Wednesday, a judge in Calgary announced that John Sproul must serve a two-year sentence of house arrest as a “probationary sentence.”

Sproul, 23, who was initially charged with second-degree murder, was convicted by a jury earlier this year of involuntary manslaughter. He stabbed Bragden to death in September 2022 outside a bar in Banff.

But in this incident, Bragden, 27, was the one who started the fight. He first pushed Sproul, 20, and then punched him in the street and dragged him to the ground.

Sproul suffered multiple injuries during the fight. Judge Johanna Price of the Crown Court ruled that Sproul acted in self-defence but used “excessive force”.

“This was a situation that was close to self-defence, not close to murder,” Price said.

“John was defending himself… but his reaction was excessive.”

Forty seconds into the attack, when Sproul’s shirt was pulled over his head and face, he pulled out his pocket knife and began stabbing him. Bragden suffered 19 stab wounds and cuts.

The judge described Bragden as “a good man whose life was worth living”, but added:
“Sending John to prison will not bring Ryden back.”

She also said the case was “unusual” and acknowledged that people may find it difficult to understand how someone could cause death by stabbing him 19 times and not go to prison.

The judge insisted Sproul was not a danger to society and had shown remorse.

240 hours of community service
Bragoden's family members were upset and angry when they heard the verdict, with some muttering under their breath during the judge's decision and several abruptly leaving the courtroom.

Prosecutors had asked for 5 to 6 years in prison, but Sproul's defense attorneys had asked for two years of house arrest or 18 months in prison.

House arrest means the offender serves the sentence at home. Sproul must remain at home for two years and complete 24 hours of community service. After that, he will also be on probation for two years.

After the hearing, Sproul hugged his mother, brother and girlfriend.

Details of the fight
Sproul had gone to Banff with his family for the holiday. On the night of the incident, he and his brother were hanging out at various bars. Bragoden and his friend had also stopped in Banff on their way and were doing some sightseeing.

According to the judge's findings, Sproul and his brother were friendly with the people around them, but at one point, Brogden and his friend became upset with them for some reason and even talked about them to bodyguards, something Sproul was unaware of.

After leaving the bar, the two groups clashed again outside the Dancing Sasquatch. Sproul asked Bragden for a cigarette, who told him to "get lost" and then punched Sproul in the face.

Videos show Brogden pulling Sproul's shirt over his head and repeatedly hitting him. Sproul says he heard Bragden yell,

"I'm going to kill you!"

Not knowing where the knife was going, he began stabbing him.

A bodyguard eventually arrived and pulled Brogden off Sproul. Sproul fled.

Bragden suffered a total of 12 stab wounds and seven lacerations. The judge wrote in his findings:
“Sprowell was acting in self-defense, but his reaction was excessive.”

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