Angry father targets wrong man in revenge attack, gets 6 years

Wrong man vigilante gets 6 years

A Winnipeg man has been sentenced to six years in prison for an act of "vigilante justice" which ended up targeting the wrong victim.

Irvin Johnston, 46, pleaded guilty Wednesday to break and enter and committing aggravated assault for a July 2008 home invasion that left a 52-year-old man suffering extensive injuries and on permanent disability.

Crown attorney Melinda Murray said Johnston was upset because his daughter said she’d been physically abused by her common law husband. Johnston grabbed an aluminum baseball bat and went looking for the man by bursting into his Mountain Avenue home.

The man wasn’t home – but his father, mother and two young children were, court was told. Johnston then turned his rage on the father, hitting him at least 20 times in the head with the bat.

"This was revenge. He took matters into his own hands. This was vigilante justice which cannot be tolerated in our society. Violence begets violence," said Murray.

The victim suffered a shattered left forearm and fractured left elbow which required surgery and have left him with limited mobility and unable to work. He also had numerous cuts to his head and face, court was told.

"I don’t know why he did this to me. I didn’t do anything to him," the man said in a victim impact statement.

Johnston fled the home and actually bragged to other family members about what he’d done, even telling one relative "you should see him, he’s probably dead."

Johnston has an extensive criminal record dating back to the 1980s, including multiple convictions for violent acts. He apologized for his actions Wednesday, claiming he "didn’t mean to" hurt the victim.

Provincial court Judge Ray Wyant scoffed at the remark, saying Johnston knew exactly what he was doing in a cold, calculated attack against an innocent man.

"What you did was a senseless, violent and frightening act," he said.

Johnston was originally charged with attempted murder, but the Crown agreed to reduce the offence in exchange for his guilty plea.

Johnston has spent more than 22 months in pre-trial custody, which was given double-time credit on Wednesday. That leaves him with just over 27 months left on his sentence.

Vicious attack nets man 6 years
Armed with a baseball bat, Irvin Johnston went looking for the man he believed had assaulted his daughter.
The man wasn’t home when Johnston came knocking in July 2008. But his father was.
Johnston forced his way into the Mountain Avenue house and beat the man so viciously he later told family members “he’s probably dead.”
Johnston, 46, pleaded guilty to break and enter, and aggravated assault. He was sentenced Wednesday to six years in prison.

Johnston’s intended target was his daughter’s boyfriend, his grandchildren’s father.
The 52-year-old victim was taken to hospital suffering head injuries, a broken arm and shattered elbow. In a victim impact statement, the man said he “can’t do anything like I used to do” and now lives on disability.
“I don’t know why he did this to me,” he said. “I didn’t do anything to him.”
Crown attorney Melinda Murray said the victim was “minding his own business” and had no prior relationship with Johnston.
“This is vigilante justice ... and that cannot be tolerated in this society,” Murray said. “Violence begets violence.”
Johnston claimed he had been drinking and “didn’t mean to do what I did.”
Judge Ray Wyant said Johnston knew exactly what he was doing. The attack was “planned and premeditated ... and done with the intention of inflicting grievous bodily harm on anyone who got in your way.”
Johnston got double credit for time served, cutting his remaining sentence to 27 1/2 months.

Vigilante attack with baseball bat brings 6 year sentence
A Winnipeg man has been sentenced to six years in prison for an act of "vigilante justice" which ended up targetting the wrong victim.
Irvin Johnston, 46, pleaded guilty Wednesday to breaking, entering and aggravated assault for a July 2008 home invasion that left a 52-year-old man suffering extensive injuries and on permanent disability.
Crown attorney Melinda Murray said Johnston was upset because his daughter said she'd been physically abused by her common-law husband. Johnston grabbed an aluminum baseball bat and went looking for his son-in-law by bursting into his Mountain Avenue home.
The target of his rage wasn't home -- but the man's father, mother and two young children were. Johnston then set his sights on the father, hitting him at least 20 times in the head with the bat.
"This was revenge. He took matters into his own hands. This was vigilante justice which cannot be tolerated in our society," said Murray.
The victim suffered a shattered left forearm and fractured left elbow which required surgery and have left him with limited mobility and unable to work. He also had numerous cuts to his head and face, court was told.
"I don't know why he did this to me. I didn't do anything to him," the man said in a victim impact statement.
Johnston fled the home and actually bragged to other family members about what he'd done, telling one relative "you should see him, he's probably dead."
Johnston has an extensive criminal record dating back to the 1980s, including multiple convictions for violent acts. He apologized for his actions Wednesday, claiming he "didn't mean to" hurt the victim.
Provincial court Judge Ray Wyant scoffed at the remark, saying Johnston knew exactly what he was doing in a cold, calculated attack against an innocent man.
"What you did was a senseless, violent and frightening act," he said.
Johnston was originally charged with attempted murder, but the Crown reduced the charge in exchange for his guilty plea. He spent more than 22 months in pre-trial custody, for which he was given double-time credit on Wednesday. That leaves him with just over 27 months left on his sentence.

This article is biased. It does not mention any of the defence lawyer`s comments or arguments or anything about the accused`s childhood background and life, or other mitigating factors. The headline of the Sun article "Vicious attack nets man 6 years" is slightly slanted, as it is begging for a public outrage. It gives little details about the reasons for the man`s attack.

I believe 6 years is far too harsh, for aggravated assault. What this man did was wrong and it was definitely revenge, but I understand why he did it, after just learning that his daughter was being abused. That kind of information could make any rational person upset and lose control over their emotions. 

Just because he has violent convictions in the past, does not say much. There could be many mitigating circumstances surrounding those acts that the author decides not to mention. He may not have committed a violent act in a long time and the other acts may have occurred during times of stress, life challenges, etc. The author also fails to mention if this man has been participating in any programs before trial to help improve himself or if he expresses remorse, etc. 

I disagree with the 6 year sentence. Yes this man has past convictions and committed a violent act, but we do not know what the mitigating  circumstances surrounding those were. Clearly, this man has emotion management issues. Prison will not solve those issues, as programs are underfunded and have waiting lists. Also, prison is a negative environment filled with negative influences, pro criminal behaviours and attitudes, gangs and drugs. With the prison subculture, it is nearly impossible for an individual to practice or incorporate anger management skills they may have learned in prison. I believe he should have received a prison term of 2 years, in a minimum security prison or a halfway house, where he could attend community programming regarding emotion management, violence prevention, life skills, communication skills and problem solving skills.

This man does pose some danger to the man for whom the attack was intended for. I feel 6 years is too harsh, but that he does require some form of incarceration, maybe between 2 and 3 years in a minimum security prison, such as Rockwood, where he could attend programming in the community during the day, such as anger management, violence prevention, problem solving skills and counseling and return to the institution in the evening and night. 
 

 

Man on crime spree in Winnipeg, sentenced to 14 years in prison. Too harsh?

Man's crime spree included robbing jail chaplain

A Winnipeg man whose string of crimes included robbing a jail chaplain at knifepoint, holding another man hostage and terrorizing two real estate agents has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Raymond Michaud, 50, received credit of nine years for time served, reducing his remaining sentence to five years.

Michaud has spent almost his entire adult life behind bars. All his crimes are driven by his addiction to alcohol, said his lawyer Crystal Antila.

“He realizes he has wasted his life,” Antila told Judge Brent Stewart. “He is very ashamed. He can’t believe this even happened to him and he did this to these people.”

Michaud pleaded guilty to 10 offences including robbery with a weapon, forcible confinement, and breaking and entering.

In March 2005, Michaud and a second man, Ryan Grills, abducted a man who owed them money for a drug debt and threw him in the trunk of their car. Michaud and Grills called the abducted man’s father and arranged a rendezvous east of the city where they would release his son in exchange for the $600 drug debt. The man was released unharmed.

In a second incident, Michaud and Grills, both former inmates of Headingley Correctional Centre, lured the jail chaplain to Grill’s home on the pretext of paying back money he had loaned them. Grills held a gun to the chaplain’s head while Michaud held a knife to his throat before robbing him of his wallet, car keys and bank card.

The victim was driven to a downtown bank machine where he was forced to withdraw $800.

A day later the men called an automobile dealership and arranged for a salesman to pick them up for a test drive at a North End 7-Eleven. Michaud and Grills hijacked the man and his car and then robbed a party supply store and health food store of a small amount of cash.

Later that day the men lured a married couple, both real estate agents, to a North End address on the pretext of wanting to buy a house. After some bogus chit-chat in the couple’s car, Grills put a gun to the man’s head and Michaud held a knife on the woman’s head.

Following a brief struggle during which the woman suffered minor wounds to her hand, the men grabbed her purse and ran off.

Michaud also pleaded guilty to two residential break and enters committed prior to his crime spree with Grills.

Grills, 35, was sentenced in 2007 to 12 years in prison.

Michaud’s road to sentencing was much longer, due in part to the sudden death of the Crown attorney first assigned to prosecute the case. In 2009 the case was further delayed when Michaud abruptly fired his lawyer.

First of all, I have compassion for this man because of his addiction issues. They are the driving force behind all of his crimes. Based on the information in the article, this man definitely has committed a lot of crime and appears to be a danger to society, due to his random attacks. For that reason, I believe a prison sentence is warranted in this case. However, I do not feel 14 years is warranted as that seems too harsh. But with the double time credit in effect, I feel that the remaining 5 years left for this man to serve, is relatively appropriate and fair. I would feel much better about the prison sentence if prison reforms took place and conditions were improved along with more emphasis on rehabilitation and reform, as opposed to the current negative environment and lack of program funding. It would be beneficial for this man to participate in a substance abuse program in prison, and also a community based program when he is released on parole or stat release. 

For many crimes, I feel that substance abuse and addictions issues should be dealt with outside of a prison sentence, however, this man exhibits extreme violence in his random attacks. Some of the attacks, also appeared to be premeditated, which is definitely an aggravating factor. I only hope that this man can receive the help he needs either while in prison or when he is released and that the effects of prison will not have too much of an adverse effect on his life and for his chances of rehabilitation.  

Man shot by police led a troubled life

Man killed by police led troubled life

The man shot and killed by Winnipeg police in a West Broadway back lane on Sunday had a dark and troubled past that his family hoped he would escape, CBC News has learned.

Lance Muir, 42, was shot to death in a Langside Street lane at about 9 a.m. Sunday.

Muir was a suspect in a break and enter, police said. When they arrived on the scene, there was a confrontation and Muir was fatally shot, police said.

Witnesses described seeing Muir holding a crowbar and a pillowcase before police arrived. It's believed he was hit by bullets while driving a stolen car toward police.

Police, however, have not confirmed this or said much else about the circumstances leading up to the shooting.

Ties to biker gang

Police confirmed they'd had many contacts with Muir over the years.

In 1996, he was involved in an attempted shooting murder of a fellow member of the Spartans motorcycle gang.

He served a full 10-year sentence for the crime after the National Parole Board ruled he was too much of a risk to be allowed out in public on special forms of early release.

'For those who knew him well, his past didn't matter.'— Melanie Muir-Backman,Lance Muir's sister

When Muir was given mandatory statutory release in 2003, after serving two-thirds of his sentence for the attempted murder, the parole board placed restrictions on him, according to documents obtained by CBC News.

Muir was ordered to abstain from all intoxicants and not associate with people involved in crime activities.

"Your avoidance of people who are involved in crime and drug use are key risk-management strategies in your case," the board said.

Within a month, Muir's release was revoked after he admitted to his parole officer that he snorted three lines of cocaine while working as a tattoo artist in Winnipeg. He promised to turn himself in but went underground instead for seven more months.

He was eventually arrested and returned to prison to complete his full sentence, which expired in July 2007.

Prior to his being set free, the parole board noted Muir's long battle with alcohol and drugs, which sometimes prompted him to resort to violence to resolve problems.

'Shirt off his back'

His sister, Melanie Muir-Backman, said Monday that he promised to try to get his life together after leaving prison.

"He swore when he got out of jail he would get his life back on track," she said.

Muir struggled to find work and didn't keep close ties with relatives, Muir-Backman said. But despite his troubles he was intelligent and generous, she said.

"The brother I knew would give the shirt off his back. … For those who knew him well, his past didn't matter."

Because Muir was shot by police, an inquest into his death is mandatory under provincial law.

The police investigation is still in the hands of the Winnipeg homicide squad. The findings will be reviewed by an outside police agency and an independent Crown attorney.

Victim was ex-biker

Winnipeg’s police chief is promising a thorough investigation into this weekend’s fatal officer-involved shooting of a break-and-enter suspect.

The 42-year-old victim, Lance Trevor Muir, was a former member of the now-defunct Spartans outlaw motorcycle gang in Winnipeg and did time for the attempted murder of a fellow biker more than a decade ago, a source said.

At least one officer encountered Muir, who was suspected of breaking into a home, in a back lane near Langside Street and Sara Avenue in West Broadway on Sunday shortly before 9 a.m.

Muir was in possession of a vehicle and was armed with a crowbar, a source said.

Some kind of confrontation ensued and Muir was shot at least once. Police haven’t disclosed the circumstances or how many shots were fired.

At least three bullet holes were visible in the car’s windshield. Police wouldn’t reveal whether the black Cadillac sedan was driven towards officers or how many officers were involved. The car ended up crashing into garbage bins and a wooden pole.

Remaining mum on the matter Monday, police wouldn’t say if the car was legally in Muir’s possession, stolen or taken without its registered owner’s consent.

A man who said he was Muir’s roommate told a Winnipeg TV station Sunday that Muir had stolen the car weeks before he was killed.

Police Chief Keith McCaskill said new information will be released in the future but not at the expense of the investigation, which is ongoing.

The homicide unit is investigating, which is standard procedure following an officer-involved shooting. A provincial inquest is mandatory in such a scenario.

Muir had previously served a 10-year prison sentence for attempted murder with a firearm and drug trafficking.

In 1996, Muir and others kidnapped a fellow Spartans member and drove him to the Red River Floodway, where they shot him in the head and left him for dead. The man survived.

On at least two occasions, Muir was freed after serving two-thirds of his sentence only to be returned to federal prison for violating conditions of his statutory release.

Muir was last released on statutory release in January 2007 and proceeded to breach conditions three times before he was back behind bars, according to National Parole Board (NPB) documents. The NPB said in a July 2007 report that Muir had a long history of drug addiction and that his risk was “unmanageable” in the community.

Muir had no criminal convictions in Manitoba after his sentence expired in 2007, according to the courts.

Sounds to me like he did not receive much assistance once released from prison. Instead of simply saying he couldnt drink alcohol or do drugs, he should have been provided with substance abuse counseling and treatment programs, since he struggled with his addictions. He also should have been given employment assistance. It appears as if he was simply released on his own with no help whatsoever. This is dangerous as he is likely to resort back to crime.

The Yuletide Bandit -- Michael Syrnyk

I just finished reading Mike McIntyre's novel called The Yuletide Bandit today, about a man named Michael Syrnyk, who went on a 7 year crime spree, involving robberies, break ins and a hostage taking which resulted in him shooting 3 people, including 2 police officers. Michael came from a difficult background, due to family violence as a child resulting in his parents divorcing, his grandmother passing away when he was young and his mother passing away from cancer later in his life. He struggled with mental illnesses, including depression and anxiety and felt powerless in his life. He had difficulty connecting with and relating to others, which is why he didn't like the idea of conventional work and he resorted to a criminal lifestyle of robberies. He used the money he made to indulge in drugs and alcohol, pay for sex at massage parlours, which were both an attempt to relieve his symptoms of anxiety and depression and suicidal thoughts he was experiencing. It was a financial means to life for Syrnyk, due to the fact that he found conventional work and dealing with the public, intolerable. 

Syrnyk was always shy and was lonely most of his life. He isolated himself socially from others because he had difficulty relating to and connecting with others. He felt guilty after committing a crime, and suffered from thoughts  of death and emptiness. He also struggled with managing his thoughts and emotions, which is also what led him to substance abuse. He didn't know how to cope with life's challenges, was dissatisfied with his life, and felt a sense of self-loathing and apathy. He had struggled with anxiety, social anxiety, and depression most of his life. 

He was sentenced to 23 years prison by a Judge in December 2002. The defence suggested 15 years prison. Personally, I think 23 years was far too harsh, as Syrnyk has great potential to be rehabilitated. I would have supported between 12 and 15 years. In prison, I think he could benefit from violence prevention programs where he can learn communication skills and better social skills, substance abuse programs, medications for depression and counseling by a psychologist for his social anxiety, self esteem and confidence along with education and employment assistance and training. 

Aggravating Circumstances	Mitigating Circumstances
15 armed robberies, 9 armoured car heists, 8 break ins, shot 3 people (including 2 police officers), one hostage taking	Pleaded guilty to 35 charges
Used violence in robberies	Expressed deep remorse and cooperated with police
Used weapons to threaten victims	Strong family support system
Crimes were planned and pre-meditated	Good character as described by family and friends (loving, caring, compassionate, generous, shy, lonely, gentle, considerate)
Stole $300,000 +	History of mental health issues (anxiety, social anxiety, self-esteem, depression, suicidal thoughts, felt powerless in his life, difficulty relating and connecting to others)
	Substance abuse of ecstasy, marijuana, cocaine, morphine, LSD
	Family violence/divorce likely led to mental health problems

 

Man pleads guilty to home invasion

Man pleads guilty to violent home invasion

A 29-year-old man from rural Manitoba pleaded guilty Wednesday to the violent home invasion and gunpoint kidnapping of a Steinbach-area couple.

Evan Woywoda was set to go on trial in late April but changed his mind and elected not to fight the charges. He has been in custody since the August 2008 incident and will be sentenced later this spring.

No details of the evidence have been presented in court.

RCMP said at the time the victims were abducted in the middle of the night from a home in the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie by two men armed with a rifle. The husband was taken first but managed to escape. The accused then returned to the home and grabbed his wife, forcing her into a vehicle and driving her to a bank in Steinbach where she was ordered with withdraw cash.

The woman was rescued by police, who spotted the suspect vehicle and arrested the accused without incident. Neither victim suffered any serious physical injuries.

RCMP believed the unusual incident was an attempted extortion.

Woywoda admitted Wednesday to kidnapping, break and enter commit robbery, use of a firearm and point firearm. A co-accused, Danilo Wiebe, previously pleaded guilty to similar charges and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Man assaulted in St. James

Senior attacked at knifepoint

A 47-year-old man has been charged after a half-hour crime spree in St. James during which he allegedly attacked a senior and broke into a home.

Winnipeg police say the first victim, a 73-year-old man, was walking on the sidewalk in the 300-block of Aldine Street about 5:30 p.m. Saturday when he was approached by the knife-wielding suspect, who suddenly assaulted him about the upper body.

The senior was taken to hospital, where he remains in stable condition. A 49-year-old man who tried to intervene during the incident was also assaulted and suffered minor injuries to one of his arms.

Police said the knife was not used to attack either victim.

The suspect fled to the 200-block of Olive Street, where he broke into a home and stole jewelry and cigarettes, police said.

Police said the female homeowner returned to her house while a suspect was inside and managed to scare him off without being injured.

“He just bolted out the door,” said Winnipeg police spokesman Const. Blair Good. “She was very fortunate he didn’t do anything to her.”

Police were alerted by victims at both locations and a suspect was arrested in the area of Olive and Portage Avenue about 6 p.m. He allegedly had cocaine and property from the break-in with him.

Glen Joseph Bone, 47, of Portage la Prairie, has been charged with numerous offences, including aggravated assault, break and enter and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Police said Bone was previously known to them for “similar-type offences”, including violent crimes.

By the headline saying this senior was attacked at knifepoint, when the knife was not used in the attack, instills fear in seniors who are reading the headline. This is a rare attack and seniors do not need to be afraid. By mentioning that the suspect is known for similar offences and other violent crimes, provides the reader with the perception that the man arrested, is guilty. This article does not describe factors which may have contributed to the crime (addictions, family problems, etc.) and other mitigating factors. By saying that the attack occurred in the daylight, instills even more fear about daytime attacks and victimization of seniors. 

This type of attack is rare and this article FAILS to mention that. Seniors have the lowest rate of self reported violent victimization and when it does happen, 64% (the majority) of seniors know the perpetrator (family, friend, acquaintance). In only 36% of violent incidents, was the perpetrator a stranger to the victim. Also, violent incidents against seniors do not commonly result in injuries (68% don't). And most violent incidents do not involve a weapon.

So after looking at all these stats, which the newspaper failed to mention, its clear that seniors do not have to be any more afraid of being victimized than they were before. It is a rare attack.  

Alleged tanning peeper, is charged again, suggesting a non-isolated previous attack

Alleged tanning peeper charged again 

Stands accused of voyeurism, sex assaults

IT was a shocking crime at a downtown Winnipeg tanning salon -- a young woman accosted in a private room by an unknown intruder who had scaled a wall to spy on her.

Now, evidence is mounting to suggest this was not an isolated attack. Winnipeg police have expanded their investigation and laid a slew of new criminal charges against the alleged voyeur believed to be responsible for the November 2009 incident.

Russel Bruce Cassels, 29, is now accused of sexually assaulting and secretly videotaping two former girlfriends over a lengthy period of time, according to court documents obtained by the Free Press.

One of the women claims she was attacked between June 2008 and August 2009, while the other has cited incidents between July 2009 and February 2010.

On Tuesday, Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Rob Carver said two women recently came forward to shed new light on the existing police probe.

"This is a fairly extensive set of circumstances. We would be casting the net very broad, certainly looking to see where else offences may have been committed and against whom," Carver said.

Cassels was first arrested Dec. 4 and charged with an incident at TanFX that happened days earlier. The 20-year-old woman began screaming for help and the suspect responded by pushing down the lid of the tanning bed so she couldn't escape.

He then fled the facility, located in the underground Winnipeg Square at 360 Main St.

The victim was emotionally traumatized but not physically injured.

Police charged Cassels with voyeurism, break and enter, forcible confinement and a break and enter-related charge. He was released on bail days later, despite objections from the Crown.

Police seized a cellular phone from the accused which allegedly contained a database of several city addresses which included "shower times" for some of the female residents.

Police began visiting several homes in early December to speak with the occupants. A 21-year-old woman said police showed up at her Osborne Village residence to inform her the house she shares with four roommates was on the list.

None of the women had ever seen the accused before. No additional charges have been laid to this point involving those incidents.

Cassels was rearrested on Feb. 23 after allegedly breaching conditions of his bail by assaulting one of his ex-girlfriends. He was granted bail the next day, with the Crown once again opposed.

Police continued to investigate and uncovered additional evidence involving the girlfriend, and another former partner who came forward. Cassels was arrested again on March 12 and has been in custody ever since. His new charges include two more counts of voyeurism, forcible confinement, sexual assault and assault.

Man charged in tanning booth invasion
Tanning booth intruder charged with voyeurism
Alleged peeper had 'shower times' list: police; Tanning salon suspect probed

When I look at the type of attacks and activities that this man has been doing and planning, I see a potential sex offender. Someday, spying on women might not arouse his as much, causing him to move on based on his fantasies, towards sexually assaulting, kidnapping and possibly even killing women. Sex offenders start off with relatively minor crimes and move along a continuum. What I want to know, is why this man was released on bail, TWICE?! Especially after he breached the conditions of his first bail received? It baffles me but at least he is in custody now. 

Winnipeg man gets 3.5 years prison for fight over the phone

'Severe beating' over a phone

Victim’s face ‘absolute mess;’ man gets 3 1/2 years

A fight over a telephone has landed a 34-year-old Winnipeg man a 3 1/2-year prison sentence.

John Two-Heart pleaded guilty to one count of breaking and entering and assault causing bodily harm in connection with the June 7, 2008, fracas.

Two-Heart received double credit for time served, reducing his remaining sentence to one year.

Court heard the male victim suffered a “severe beating” at the hands of three men, two of whom were armed with a baseball bat and a wrench.

“The victim’s face was an absolute mess as a result of this beating,” said Crown attorney Rustyn Ullrich. “This was a concerted effort by all three to beat the victim mercilessly.”

Jennifer Bruyere, Two-Heart’s common-law wife and the “instigator” of the fight, pleaded guilty to one count of uttering threats and was sentenced to time served.

Ullrich said Bruyere had been dispatched to the victim’s North End home to retrieve a telephone a relative had lent him when the two became embroiled in a heated argument on the street. Bruyere threatened to send her boyfriend to the victim’s house.

The threat was fulfilled. Two-Heart, who was drunk, and two other men stormed over to the man’s rooming house and beat the man about the face and body. The victim’s eyes were swollen shut and his back was covered in large welts, Ullrich said.

“This is as close to an aggravated assault as you can get,” Ullrich told Judge Sandy Chapman.

Pam Smith, Two-Heart’s lawyer, argued he should be sentenced to time served, noting the victim has “moved on” and holds no grudge against Two-Heart.

“(The victim) says they were both drunk and if he had been sober it might have turned out different,” Smith said.

Bruyere’s lawyer said she regrets her part in the senseless attack.

“She feels bad that this happened over a phone,” Kevin Sneesby said. “She is shaking her head at this.”

I feel that considering the fact that this man was intoxicated at the time and likely incoherent and did not know fully, what he was doing, I think that the jail time of one year (after double time) is appropriate. I would not have agreed with 3.5 years. 

Russell Williams honours man for homicide investigation weeks before his crime spree began

Accused colonel honours homicide sleuth 

Col. Russell Williams, the former commander of CFB Trenton charged in two homicides and two sex assaults, honoured a military investigator for his work at a homicide scene on the Ontario base last summer – just weeks before Williams’ alleged crime spree began. 

Gave Cpl. Tim Thickson the highest honour on a base – for what was described as outstanding professionalism in initiating an emergency response at a murder scene. 

“I find it so sad that the same guy who is alleged to have committed these acts presents one of his soldiers with an award for the work he did at the crime scene,” a tipster wrote. 

The military honour recognizes Thickson for ensuring “the security of the crime scene and of other emergency response personnel who were attempting to revive the victim while the murder suspect was at large in the area.” 

Williams, 46, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Cpl. Marie-France Comeau and Jessica Lloyd. He is also charged with two counts each of forcible confinement, break-and-enter and sexual assault in attacks on women during home invasions Sept. 17 and 30. 

Williams, in custody since his arrest Feb. 7, made a brief video appearance Thursday in a Belleville, Ont., courtroom.

His case was put over until March 25 while awaiting disclosure. 

This is very ironic!