NANAIMO — Highly unusual and bewildering behaviour by a man in Qualicum Beach was outlined during shocking and emotionally charged sentencing hearing.
The 34-year-old man who can’t be named in order to protect his children’s identity had his sentencing hearing commence in provincial court in Nanaimo on Monday, Nov. 4 after earlier pleading guilty to a bestiality charge.
Prosecutor Brett Webber provided an overview of the Crown’s sentencing submissions, featuring a request of up to one year behind bars for the grotesque offence on May 15, 2023.
Webber told court the offender was reported by his then wife to be under their backyard trampoline sexually abusing their dog, an elderly 18 kilogram shepherd mix.
He had lubricant cream on his penis at the time, while the dog had blood on its anus and the animal was covered in lubricant cream.
The wife requested that he leave, and when he refused she called Oceanside RCMP.
At that point the offender admitted to his actions, contending it was the first time he had done that.
The offender told the complainant that he was trying to kill the animal because it was being problematic.
“Mr_____met the officers in the driveway and spontaneously stated ‘I f**ked the dog,'” Webber said.
The offender told police that he had consumed six beers prior to the offence and that police observed him to be cooperative and coherent.
Police noticed the dog’s anus was swollen and covered in lubricant, while the lubricant bottle was found at the crime scene under the trampoline.
Webber stated that there appeared to be a degree of planning the offence, pointing out that the offender ensured his ex was inside the house and the lubricant was arranged.
A veterinarian report stated the dog showed signs of sexual abuse with sustained inflammation and trauma on its anus.
“The impact of psychological trauma will far exceed beyond the duration of the physical experience. It is important to consider the long-term impact of pain and suffering on an animal that has experienced the trauma of sexual abuse,” the vet report stated.
An examination of the animal contained the offender’s DNA.
The maximum penalty for bestiality when the Crown proceeds summarily is up to two years in a provincial jail and $5,000 fine.
The ex wife of the accused, whom she shares two young children with, read out a prepared statement outlining the severe emotional fallout the incident has caused.
The woman who can’t be identified, said what occurred caused her constantly intrusive thoughts and uncontrollable vomiting.
She expanded on the betrayal she felt when, with the police en-route, the offender said that she ruined their lives by phoning police and that she’d regret it.
She said that their children will want to know why their father abruptly left their lives.
The complainant’s statement was interrupted by supporters of the offender who were grumbling amongst themselves.
A shouting match ensued between the two sides, with several members of the gallery on both booted from the court room.
A sheriff threatened participants with arrest.
Adding to the shocking conduct of the offender was an attempt to fire his lawyer Michael Ritzker as the sentencing hearing was about to begin Monday.
Facing the prospect of representing himself (after attempting to fire his lawyer) the offender thought-twice during a morning break and agreed to have Ritzker represent him after all.
The offender had no prior criminal record.
“There’s not one case that deals with the facts of this case, not one…It has it’s own lurid and sensationalistic aspects that are automatically featured just by the charge and by the guilt itself.”
The offender claimed he drank drastically more than he claimed to police, stating he consumed 24 beers, a 26 ounce bottle of fireball and consumed two to three grams of magic mushrooms on the day of the offence.
The amount of substances the offender claimed to have consumed during the late August assessment was not consistent with a person behaving “cooperative” and “coherent” on scene as described by Oceanside RCMP.
The psychological assessment had little to go in terms of unearthing the reasons behind the graphic invasion of a pet dog.
The assessment found the offender had a moderate and mixed presentation of bipolar disorder, panic disorder, and both alcohol and hallucinogen disorders listed as in sustained remission.
Judge Lamperson opted for the psychologist to testify in court to help determine if the offender is a candidate to be deemed not criminally responsible due to mental disorder.
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