GUELPH -- One of the two men accused of first degree murder in the death of Nick Tanti has been released on bail, and now Tanti’s mother is speaking out.
"Why does he have freedom?" said Sharon Tanti. "My son has no freedom.
"I’m appalled by what’s going on here. I’m just absolutely disgusted with our system."
Tanti was stabbed outside a downtown Guelph bar in February, taken to hospital, and later died.
Brothers Angus Kee, 22, and Aidan, 26, have been charged with first degree murder.
On Friday, Angus Kee was granted bail at $75,000 following an audio hearing.
"Nicholas’ life was worth $75,000?" said Sharon Tanti. "They could have a piece of my house. It should have been at least $500,000 for him."
"It was like losing my son all over again," she added. "That this kid was going to have freedom, I just don’t understand. I just don’t understand."
Tanti says she only found out about the bail hearing on Thursday.
"I started having anxiety," she said. "I started shaking. I’m like, 'what is going on?'"
"My poor daughter has been living through hell with having lost her brother, her best friend."
The details of Kee's release is subject to a number of conditions and are protected by a publication ban, as are the reasons for the release.
"No matter the times, for somebody charged with first degree murder to be released with bail is very, very rare," said Ari Goldkind, a legal analyst and criminal defence lawyer. "Even though there is a family who has lost a loved one, our system works on presumption of innocence. You cannot presume that this brother who was released today did something nefarious other than his presence at the scene."
Angue Kee’s next court hearing is set for June 2. His brother and co-accused Aidan Kee remains in custody.
