Coquitlam drug deal stabbing results in nearly four-year prison sentence

A man who fatally stabbed a 66-year-old Coquitlam father during a cocaine deal in 2022 has been sentenced to three years and 11 months in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

In a decision released on Aug. 5, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Matthew Taylor sentenced Jeffrey Stevens to 47 months in custody after crediting him for time already spent in pretrial detention. The Crown had sought a seven-year sentence, while the defence argued for three to four years.

“I accept that Mr. Stevens’ moral blameworthiness is lessened to a degree by the mitigating factors,” Taylor said. “In my view, the circumstances and nature of the offence place this case closer to the jurisprudential characterization of ‘near murder’, but not at the top of the scale.”

The fatal stabbing occurred on Feb. 10, 2022, during what was supposed to be a $1,500 cocaine transaction in a parked vehicle at a commercial strip mall in Coquitlam.

Stevens, then 21, met Terry Miller and Miller’s son, Tyler, to purchase the drugs. Stevens was accompanied by a friend, while Miller had accompanied his son because of a previous dispute over the quality of Xanax Stevens had purchased.

According to the agreed statement of facts, Stevens entered the vehicle carrying a fixed-blade knife. During the discussion, Miller reached for something inside the vehicle, prompting Stevens to believe he was reaching for a weapon. Although Miller never produced or threatened to use a weapon, Stevens stabbed him six times.

Tyler Miller then grabbed an axe that was inside the vehicle and swung it at Stevens and his companion. Stevens responded by stabbing Tyler in the chest and hand before fleeing the scene. Tyler survived after undergoing surgery, while his father was taken to Royal Columbian Hospital, where he died 12 days later after being removed from life support.

Stevens was initially charged with second-degree murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter in December 2025, avoiding a scheduled jury trial.

In his reasons for sentence, Justice Taylor found several aggravating factors, including that Stevens brought a knife to the meeting, stabbed Miller six times – including to the neck and chest –- attacked him while his back was turned, responded disproportionately to the perceived threat, and fled without turning himself in. The impact on Miller’s family was also considered aggravating.

The judge also identified several mitigating factors, finding the incident unfolded in just 67 seconds, giving Stevens little time to reflect. Taylor accepted that Stevens genuinely, though mistakenly, believed Miller posed a threat, and noted the poor lighting inside the vehicle. Stevens’ guilty plea, remorse, youth, efforts at rehabilitation and Indigenous background under Gladue principles also weighed in his favour.

Following his arrest, Stevens remained offence-free for four years, found employment, volunteered as a firefighter, completed several training certificates, overcame his drug addiction and became involved with the Neskonlith Indian Band community near Chase. The judge found those efforts demonstrated strong prospects for rehabilitation.

The court also heard victim impact statements from Tyler Miller and his mother, Sandra Nasa-Dyke. Tyler described losing not only his father but also his best friend.

“How has this affected me emotionally? It destroyed me,” Tyler wrote. “I went from being a happy adult to being sad and depressed. . . . My father and my best friend were taken that day, and a big piece of me along with it.”

Justice Taylor concluded the case fell closer to the “near murder” end of the spectrum for manslaughter offences because of the repeated stabbing, but said Stevens’ moral blameworthiness was reduced by the circumstances, including his subjective belief that he faced a threat and his demonstrated rehabilitation.

In addition to the prison sentence, Stevens was ordered to provide a DNA sample and received a 10-year firearms prohibition, with a lifetime ban on prohibited firearms and weapons.