Calgary killer accused of more violent crimes after finishing manslaughter sentence

A Calgary killer who was released from prison despite serious concerns that he would violently re-offend was in court on Tuesday on charges of forcible confinement and robbery.

Originally charged with second-degree murder, Richard Sikora was found guilty of manslaughter for killing his friend David Dupuis, 22, in 2009 and sentenced to just over four years in prison.

Sikora is now accused of shaking down johns who had paid for the services of his girlfriend, who was working as an escort. 

Though he was released on bail on those charges, Sikora — who also goes by the name Richard Rancourt — was recently re-arrested for breaching his release conditions.

Dupuis and Sikora were at a house party drinking and doing cocaine before they got into an argument that ended with Sikora fatally stabbing his friend.

After serving two thirds of his manslaughter sentence, Sikora was granted statutory release in 2013, but was sent back to prison just months later for drug trafficking.

Again, he was released after serving two thirds of his sentence, but at that time, the Parole Board noted concerns that Sikora was a serious risk to re-offend in a violent way.

Sikora's long-time defence lawyer Adriano Iovinelli is trying to have his client released on bail despite Sikora's new charges of breaching his release conditions.

The case is back before a judge on Friday.