Sentencing decision following guilty pleas to aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, and impaired driving.
The offender attacked a victim outside a bar with a machete, striking her in the head and causing a serious laceration and long-term psychological harm, before threatening others inside the bar.
The court considered the violent and unprovoked nature of the assault, the use of a weapon, and the significant impact on the victim as aggravating factors.
Mitigating factors included the offender’s guilty plea, lack of prior violent record, advanced age, long-standing physical and mental health issues, and compliance with strict bail conditions.
The court imposed a penitentiary sentence reflecting denunciation and deterrence while accounting for pre-trial custody credit.
