A Winnipeg man who stabbed a newly arrived Ukrainian refugee in the neck during an unprovoked Canada Day attack at The Forks has been sentenced to four years in custody.
Jayden Kyle Martin, 22, previously pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault for the July 1, 2022, attack.
Court heard at a previous sentencing hearing Martin was so intoxicated he had no memory of the incident.
While in custody at Headingley Correctional Centre, he has been undergoing counselling for alcohol and drug addiction and showing positive progress, court was told.
Martin received credit for pre-sentence custody, allowing him to serve the remaining 22 months of his sentence in a provincial jail, not prison.
Martin, who is Indigenous, had a “disruptive” upbringing, marked by periods of upheaval, time in foster care and regular exposure to drug and alcohol abuse, said provincial court Judge Mary-Kate Harvie.
“His efforts to address his underlying issues are important factor for me to consider in the sentencing process,” said Harvie, who sentenced Martin to an additional three years of supervised probation.
“I recognize that some may view this (sentence) as being on the lower end of the scale,” she said. “However, one of the important aspects of a sentence of this length is that it allows for the imposition of a period of supervised probation. I am satisfied that is an important factor for the court to take into consideration when I consider the need for a careful transition of this offender from the institution and into the community.”
Co-accused Tyson Bechard, 21, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was sentenced in September to four years in prison. A male youth accused was previously sentenced to three years custody and community supervision.
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/11/15/judge-sentences-ukrainian-newcomers-canada-day-2022-attacker
