A three-year youth sentence is the verdict for the 16-year-old Whitehorse youth convicted of manslaughter in the death of Brandy Vittrekwa.

Though it’s the maximum sentence allowed for a youth, it’s one members of Vittrekwa’s family rallied against on Wednesday afternoon, the day before the sentencing.

They appeared outside the Whitehorse courthouse waving “Justice for Brandy” signs. They wanted the youth to be sentenced as an adult, a conviction that carries four to six years of jail time.

In December 2014, the youth invited Vittrekwa to a night of drinking at a friend’s house.

Vittrekwa, 17, had laughed off his attempts to kiss her that night. Both were drunk when they left to walk home together.

The next day, Vittrekwa was found dead on a walking trail in the McIntyre subdivision.

Her jaw had been broken. She had two black eyes. There was blunt force trauma to her face.

On Thursday afternoon, as Judge Peter Chisolm read these details aloud from an agreed statement of facts, the packed courtroom was silent. (The largest one was used in order to accommodate everyone.)

As the judge came to the point about Vittrekwa being found without her red winter coat, shaky breaths and sniffling were audible.

A pathologist ruled the cause of Vittrekwa’s death to be intoxication, exposure, and asphyxia, along with her injuries.

The youth, whose name cannot be published under federal law, admitted to beating her unconscious and leaving her on the trail.

In explaining his sentence, Judge Chisolm was clear that no sentence is meant to assess the value of a human life.

“Brandy Vittrekwa’s family is devastated by her death,” he said.

“Their lives will never be the same, and Miss Vittrekwa’s potential will never be realized.”

Crown prosecutor David McWhinnie had previously presented the option of an adult sentence.

Last week, defence attorney David Tarnow had a number of experts testify to the youth’s progress so far in custody, as well as to the fact that an adult sentence might mean he wouldn’t have access to the kind of programming that could help with rehabilitation.

These reports stated that the youth was at high-risk to re-offend if not properly treated.

They talked about his chaotic upbringing, and suggested that he showed remorse for his actions, an understanding of his responsibility, and a desire to undergo further treatment.

Judge Chisolm pointed out that, in the case of an adult sentence, the youth would have received credit for 1.5 days per day of time already spent in custody, reducing the sentence to 3.5 years.

With youth sentencing, the decision to give full or partial credit is optional.

“I am not, however, allowing any credit,” said Judge Chisolm.

“A lesser sentence wouldn’t be in accordance with the Youth Criminal Justice Act.”

“(This) is, in my view, the best option to address his risk factors,” he said.

Family and friends hugged and cried on the courthouse steps afterwards.

McWhinnie said he wasn’t surprised by the decision.

“I guess I’m getting too old, too jaded, to be surprised,” he said.

Tarnow also said the sentence was what he expected.

“I told the judge it was a very strong case to support a youth sentence,” he said.

“It was somewhat overwhelming. The kid had done so well in custody and the three reports were very strongly supportive of a youth sentence,” Tarnow said.

“My client was only 15 at the time ... the report said he was doing well and salvageable, so I think it was the right decision.”

The youth will have a DNA sample recorded.

He will then serve the next 24 months in custody in a youth facility in either Burnaby, B.C. or Saskatchewan.

He will then spend 12 months under community supervision in Whitehorse.

His progress will be reviewed six months from now, and again before the community supervision period.

Though weapons were not part of the case, Judge Chisolm also placed a seven-year prohibition on the youth possessing firearms, ammunition, or explosive substances.

“His propensity for violence is concerning,” he said.

Judge Chisolm ended by saying any sentence would be insufficient to make up for the loss of such a “vibrant and promising young woman,” but he hoped the sentence would offer some comfort to her family and friends.