“They made a deal with the devil, and this is on their hands.”

Tammy Bullock-Warren sobbed outside the courthouse apologizing to her late son for the outcome of today’s proceedings.  

“I am so sorry that we let you down,” she cries.  “I’m so sorry that your life meant nothing.”

Nicholas Bullock, 29, walked out of the courtroom a free man after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the stabbing death of his 14-year-old cousin Brayton Bullock 12 years ago.

“It’s from max to free, from first degree to free,” says Bullock Ward.

The judge granted Nicholas Bullock credit for time already served behind bars.  He was convicted of first-degree murder in 2010, but the Ontario Court of Appeal overturned that decision, ruling police failed to take the proper care in dealing with a young offender.  Bullock was 16 when he stabbed his young cousin 13 times during a heated argument in Lackie’s Bush in Barrie on March 9, 2006.

“I couldn’t believe that the appeal was granted,” says Colin Bullock, Brayton’s dad.  “This all goes back to the appeal level.  He would have been in jail for the rest of his life.”

The court heard Nicholas claimed to have been high on ecstasy pills before the attack and then went to great lengths to cover up his crime.  He disposed of the knife in a washroom garbage at the Allandale Rec Centre and changed his clothes.  He later told friends that his cousin was dragged into the bushes by two men.

“There is just so much overwhelming evidence.  The evidence collected by the police, the DNA evidence remains strong.  This does nothing but just saves the court the time of another trial,” says Brayton's mom.

Nicholas Bullock left the Barrie courthouse in silence on Wednesday.

“There is no remorse in him at all.  He did this plea to walk out a free man,” Brayton’s dad says.

Brayton’s family says Nicholas should be monitored now that he is out of jail, but that’s not going to happen.  The judge said that they had to consider that some rehabilitation must have occurred given the amount of time Bullock served.

Nicholas Bullock is banned from owning any weapons for the rest of his life and cannot have any contact with Brayton’s family.