A Winnipeg man was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison for stabbing and sexually assaulting a former girlfriend after she spurned his repeated demands for anal sex.
Convicted last September, Daniel Olenick was taken into custody by provincial sheriff’s officers as soon as Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Colleen Suche delivered the sentence at Winnipeg’s Law Courts building.
His back to the court gallery and slouched in his chair, Olenick rested his head in his right hand and bounced his right leg up and down while Suche called the crime disgusting and explained her decision.
“Whatever its roots, something is seriously wrong with Mr. Olenick,” Suche said.
Now 49, the victim didn’t attend the sentencing.
Olenick, 47, defended himself at his trial and was convicted of sexual assault, assault causing bodily harm and forcible confinement in the February 2006 incident.
For the sexual assault, Suche sentenced Olenick to four years. On the other two counts, he was given a combined two-year sentence to be served concurrent to the four-year sentence.
She agreed with defence lawyer Daniel Manning’s suggestion of four years.
The Crown was seeking a 10-year sentence.
Suche said sentences of that length are usually given to people who have a history of violence. Olenick had no previous criminal record.
Suche found trouble with the fact Olenick maintains his innocence.
She said the violent episode had a grand emotional toll on the victim, who experienced feelings of betrayal, shame, and fear, and a loss of self-confidence, in addition to physical injuries.
The incident occurred days after Olenick’s then-girlfriend moved into his Point Douglas home.
Court heard the couple had been drinking, smoking crack and arguing before Olenick tied her to a staircase bannister with twine and stabbed her in the arm, hip, abdomen and back.
Olenick untied her, had her cook food for him, and later dragged her to a bedroom and raped her, court was told.
Olenick represented himself at his trial, which resulted in him cross-examining the victim.
The woman told court she felt “raped all over again” by the cross-examination.
I suppose I agree with the sentence of 4 years but I also find it troubling that he maintains his innocence. What if he is innocent? He has no prior record and is a low risk to re-offend, which are mitigating circumstances. I would have liked to have known other background issues, such as employment, poverty, etc. Personally, I feel that between 2-3 years would be more appropriate, but 4 is close enough.
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