Mother frustrated after father convicted of killing infant daughter granted bail during appeal

It will be five years ago Tuesday that Dominique Easton lost her baby girl Aislinn.

“I miss her a lot, I miss her pretty face, I miss telling her she was pretty and I miss holding her everyday,” said Easton.

This weekend, Easton and her friends were walking up and down Richmond Street with signs that read ‘Justice for Aislinn.’

“Ainslin's father got sentenced to seven years but recently got bail pending appeal, so he's out again,” explained Easton.

She’s feeling many emotions after Cameron Kay — the father of her deceased infant daughter — was released on bail pending an appeal of his conviction and sentence.

“I was angry, but also really sad about it,” she said.

Dominique Easton (centre) walks with friends and supporters down Richmond Street in London, Ont. on March 16, 2024. Easton is frustrated that despite being sentenced to seven years in prison, the father of her deceased child is out on bail pending an appeal. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

Kay was sentenced by Justice Bruce Thomas to seven years in prison on Feb 7, 2024 after he was convicted of manslaughter by a jury in November.

While handing down the sentence, Thomas told the court that he needed to send a strong message to denounce this kind of conduct and said, “A civilized society must protect those who are unable to protect themselves.”

When emergency crews arrived to Boullee Street in London, Ont. on March 16, 2019, the newborn was unresponsive.

Three-month-old Aislinn Easton-Kay was in the care of Kay when she died from what were described in court as blunt force injuries to her neck and scalp.

It was revealed he held her tightly, jumped around and swung her back and forth.

She was taken off life support three days later.

'We're basically here just raising awareness for child abuse to get her name and everything out there,” said Kendra Jones, Easton’s best friend.

A hoodie with the picture of three-month Aislinn Easton-Kay who died in 2019. The child’s father Cameron Kay was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to seven years in prison, but is out on bail pending an appeal. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

When asked about Kay getting bail on appeal, Jones said, “It feels like an absolute smack in the face, it feels like a punch in the gut. It's horrifying.”

Kay’s lawyers Gord Cudmore and Perrie Douglas filed the appeal.

CTV News London reached out to Douglas, however she “declined to comment while the appeal is ongoing.”

She also stated, “I’m not able to get into the details of the appeal at this stage of the process.”

Easton — wearing a hoodie with her late daughter’s picture on it — said she doesn’t understand how the justice system allows Kay to be free after sentencing while she grieves on the anniversary of the loss of her daughter.

“He should be back in where he was for 18 days,” said Easton. “It's not OK for the justice system to let them be free after being only incarcerated for only a few days. Why do they get a second chance, but the ones who passed away don't?”

– With files from CTV London’s Nick Paparella 

Members of #TeamAislinn gather for a rally at London, Ont.'s Victoria Park on March 16, 2024. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)