Keli D. Mersereau

The accused, charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact, brought a bail application under section 522(2) of the Criminal Code.

The court found that the accused had shown cause why her detention was not justified under subsection 515(10) of the Criminal Code.

A Form 11 release order was issued with conditions, including a $2000 promise to pay, residing at a specific address, and no contact with named individuals.

The matter was adjourned to the Ontario Court of Justice.

The offender pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after choking a sex worker to death, dismembering her body, and hiding her remains in his garage.

The Crown sought a 15-year period of parole ineligibility, while the defence sought 12 to 13 years.

The court considered the offender's diagnosis of Schizoaffective Disorder, his guilty plea, and the profound aggravating factors of the offence, including the vulnerability of the victim and the indignity to her remains.

The court sentenced the offender to mandatory life imprisonment with parole ineligibility set at 14 years.

The accused received a suspended sentence with probation for 12 months.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions requiring social distancing, the judge dispensed with the requirement that the accused sign a paper copy of the probation order in person at the courthouse.

Instead, the order was provided electronically via email.

The judge provided reasons explaining that the signature requirement, while a best practice, was unnecessary given that the accused had orally confirmed understanding of the terms during the audio conference hearing and that the transcript would serve as evidence of the accused's awareness of the conditions.

Michael Larson was sentenced for an offence that significantly impacted the Ontario Provincial Police and Elgin County citizens, involving the destruction of the only OPP vessel.

Aggravating factors included the undermining of police authority and potential public safety risks.

Mitigating factors were numerous: Larson was a youthful first offender, had no prior criminal record, entered a guilty plea, provided fulsome statements, was on bail without incident for 2.5 years, had an excellent pre-sentence report, demonstrated remorse, and remarkably, had saved $15,000 towards anticipated restitution.

The court distinguished his case from a co-accused due to his lack of criminal record and proactive restitution efforts.

The sentence included 10 days credit for time in custody (concurrent on two counts), three years probation, a DNA order, a restitution order totaling $52,640.81 (less the $15,000 already saved), non-association with the co-accused, and a prohibition on weapons and incendiary devices.

A victim fine surcharge of $400 was also imposed.

The offender pleaded guilty to common assault and sexual assault.

The Crown proceeded summarily, enabling the defence to seek a conditional sentence.

The court imposed an 18-month conditional sentence followed by 30 months of probation.

The sentencing decision balanced denunciation and deterrence against rehabilitation, considering the offender's significant cognitive limitations, developmental disabilities, mental health issues, and a comprehensive support plan through St. Leonard's Community Services.

The court found this to be an exceptional case warranting a conditional sentence despite the serious nature of the offences.

This is a child protection trial following the apprehension of two children from their parents' care.

The parties agreed to findings under the Child and Family Services Act based on substandard home conditions and parental conflict.

The central issue was disposition: which parent should have care and control of the children subject to supervision.

The court found that the father had successfully remediated his deficits through parenting programs and consistent implementation of learned strategies, while the mother continued to struggle with attention deficits, anxiety, stress, and decision-making capacity.

The court placed the children in the father's care and control subject to supervision, with specific terms addressing monitoring, computer use, relationship disclosure, and parental counselling.