ONTARIO COURT OF JUSTICE

DATE: 2025 12 11

Toronto Region

COURT FILE No.: 4810 998 24-48109299 4810 998 25-50008313-02

BETWEEN:

HIS MAJESTY THE KING

--- AND ---

Jamie Soares CORREIA

Before Justice C. Faria

Heard August 25, September 3, 9, October 1, 6, 30, November 12, and December 4, 2025

Reasons for Sentence released December 11, 2025

Benjamin Janzen — counsel for the Crown

The accused Jamie Soares CORREIA — on his own behalf

Jessie DiCecca — Amicus counsel

Faria J.:

I. Introduction

[1] Jamie Correia pled guilty before me on August 25, 2025, to assaulting his intimate partner, Amy Baglole, and causing her bodily harm while on a probation not to have any contact with her. [1] The Crown proceeded by Indictment.

[2] Mr. Correia represented himself. As the Crown was seeking a lengthy sentence, and Mr. Correia needed assistance to obtain documents to file at his sentencing hearing, I adjourned the matter to obtain a Pre-Sentence Report (PSR) and appoint Amicus.

[3] When the sentencing was set to proceed on October 30, 2025, Mr. Correia decided to plead guilty to a charge of threatening death [2] which he acquired while in-custody awaiting sentencing. Documents Amicus had obtained for the court were also incomplete. This required another adjournment.

[4] Submissions were heard on December 4, 2025. These are my reasons for sentence.

Facts

[5] On March 11, 2024, Jamie Correia was inside Amy Baglole's apartment in the city of Toronto while on a probation that prohibited him from having contact with her.

[6] Just before midnight, a neighbour heard screaming and fighting from Ms. Baglole's apartment. The neighbour continued watching a movie for more than 30 minutes while this disturbance continued. Concerned, the neighbour turned the movie off and went to his apartment door. He looked through the peephole and saw Ms. Baglole in the hallway crawling away from her apartment. He saw Mr. Correia go behind her, grab her by the hair, and pull her back into her apartment.

[7] He saw Ms. Baglole try to crawl out of her apartment a second time. He saw Mr. Correia drag her back into the apartment and stomp on Ms. Baglole's head no less than 3 times. He called 911.

[8] Police attended and found Ms. Baglole with a gash to her forehead. Mr. Correia had left but called her while police were still in the apartment.

[9] Ms. Baglole was taken to hospital. The gash to her forehead required stitches. She sustained bruising to her face and left eye.

[10] A warrant was issued for Mr. Correia's arrest, and he was located two days later.

[11] On April 18, 2025, while Mr. Correia was in pre-trial custody at the Toronto South Detention Center (TSDC) on these charges, he had a conversation with fellow inmate Krzysztof Ryn. Mr. Correia informed Mr. Ryn that the unit had "voted" that he had to "leave" the unit. If he did not do so, Mr. Correia said "I'm going to get my minions to come kill you and your family." Mr. Ryn was beaten by 3 inmates shortly thereafter.

II. Jamie Correia

[12] Mr. Correia's PSR [3] contains only all self-reported information. He is 52 years old and was born and raised in Toronto by immigrant parents who were abusive to each other, to his two siblings and to him. He disclosed during his allocution that he was sexually abused between the ages of 5 and 12 by a family friend who lived down the street.

[13] Both his parents, who are now elderly, are experiencing deteriorating health including recent hospitalizations. He has no contact with his brother and sister because of his regular drug use and imprisonment. He was married for a year in 2000 and has no contact with either his ex-wife or his 24-year-old son.

[14] Mr. Correia has been on a disability pension since 2007 after falling off a roof and sustaining a spinal injury. He completed his high school diploma the last time he was incarcerated in 2023. He is currently enrolled in a college program and doing very well academically.

[15] He began drinking and using drugs at the age of 14, and then became addicted to crack cocaine, and crystal meth.

[16] His criminal record, one with over 125 convictions spans 36 years from 1989 when he was 16 years old to last year. [4] It reflects a life of drug addiction and violence. Mr. Correia states he has PTSD, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and an impulse disorder although there is no verification of these diagnoses.

[17] Mr. Correia has made excellent use of his time while incarcerated. During his last incarceration in late December 2022, to September 2023, he completed 16 programs at the TSDC. These included programing on substance use, anger management, relationship building, understanding feelings, and life skills. [5]

[18] During his current incarceration he has again availed himself of programing. He completed 5 programs including for mental health and substance abuse. He filed 10 Certificates of completion in counselling areas such as recognizing healthy relationships, problem solving and changing habits. [6]

III. Victim Impact

[19] Ms. Baglole's victim impact statement is moving in its simplicity and directness. She is traumatized. She is terrified Mr. Correia will kill her. She lives in fear and anguish. She has lost sleep, and experiences anxiety and despair. She now has a dog for comfort and protection. [7]

[20] Ms. Baglole is of financially limited means and the property damage Mr. Correia caused was significant. She is humiliated that people saw this damage to her apartment and saw her distress. The permanent scar on her face remind her of Mr. Correia daily. She is petrified of him.

IV. Position of the Parties

[21] The Crown submits the appropriate sentence is 4 years; however, considering the harsh conditions of incarceration and Mr. Correia's rehabilitative efforts, he recommends a total sentence of 3 years and 7 months (44 months): 3.5 years for the assault bodily harm and breach, and 2 months consecutive for the threat.

[22] Mr. Correia, on his own behalf, submits that the appropriate sentence is one time served, which is tantamount to 31.5 months, a suspended sentence and probation with terms to continue his rehabilitation efforts.

[23] Mr. DiCecca, as Amicus, submitted that both the Crown and Mr. Correia's recommendations are within the range of sentence for these offences. He provided case law in support of the range to be considered. [8]

[24] Mr. DiCecca pointed out the updated lockdown summaries provided to the court [9] demonstrate Mr. Correia was both on lockdown and triple-bunked on 33 occasions. He also noted that Mr. Correia's participation in programing while in custody is remarkable and factors in his favour and rehabilitation potential.

V. Sentencing Principles

[25] Every sentence must be proportionate to the gravity of the offence and the degree of responsibility of the offender.

[26] The sanction that I impose should have one or more of the following objectives:

• to deter the offender and other persons from committing offences;
• to separate offenders from society, where necessary;
• to assist in rehabilitating offenders;
• to provide reparations for harm done to victims or to the community;
• to denounce unlawful conduct; and
• to promote a sense of responsibility in offenders and acknowledgment of the harm done to victims and to the community.

[27] In addition, I must also consider the aggravating and mitigating factors including the context of the intimate violence context, the harsh conditions of incarceration and the principles of rehabilitation, parity and totality.

VI. Analysis

[28] I have reviewed all the caselaw provided by all parties.

i. Aggravating Factors

[29] The aggravating factors in this case are numerous and serious. They include:

i. Intimate partner violence is statutorily aggravating (s.718.2(a)(ii)).

ii. This violence is a breach of Ms. Baglole's trust.

iii. The assault lasted over 30 minutes. It was loud enough to disturb the neighbour watching television.

iv. The assault was persistent. Ms. Baglole was crawling to try to escape her abuser, only to be dragged back into the apartment by her hair. Twice.

v. The violence had features of degradation. Pulling Ms. Baglole by the hair as she is crawling away and stomping on her head are actions of domination and dehumanization. Mr. Correia's conduct was in total disregard for her human dignity and integrity.

vi. The beating was in Ms. Baglole's own home where she is entitled to feel the safest.

vii. The photos of the injuries depict serious injuries. [10] The gash to her forehead required stitches. The bruising to the left side of her face was extensive. If one looks closely, the shoe print of Mr. Correia can be made out on her face.

viii. The impact of the assault is long-lasting, physically, emotionally, psychologically and financially.

ix. Mr. Correia was previously convicted of assault and assault with a weapon on Ms. Baglole. Those offences put Ms. Baglole in hospital.

x. Mr. Correia breached that probation not only by contacting her, but beating her in her home, and then calling her after he beat her.

xi. Mr. Correia was on 2 additional probations at the time he committed these offences.

[30] Regarding the threat to a fellow inmate, Mr. Correia's conduct further exacerbates an already tense environment where inmates with limited options are easily triggered and violence easily erupts. His threat is indicative of the informal, but powerful, jail hierarchy that further victimizes people inside jails.

[31] Finally, also aggravating is Mr. Correia's extensive 8-page criminal record. His crimes are wide-ranging. He has committed property offences. He has possessed and trafficked drugs. He has been violent many times. He regularly breaches his releases and probations throughout the years.

ii. Mitigating Factors

[32] A guilty plea reflects accountability. Mr. Correia pled guilty. However, Mr. Correia's plea to the assault bodily harm and breach of probation was on the first day of his second trial date. The witnesses attended both times. The Crown's case was very strong with an independent witness, police observations, and photos of the injuries. This context attenuates the weight of the mitigation of the guilty plea. Nonetheless, Mr. Correia's guilty plea did save trial resources.

[33] During his allocution, Mr. Correia read a letter apologizing to Ms. Baglole and stating that he understands and regrets that he caused her long-lasting harm.

[34] Mr. Correia's guilty plea to threatening a fellow inmate is more meaningful in that it would be difficult for that victim to testify given the carceral environment where the offence took place.

[35] A significant mitigating factor is Mr. Correia's consistent efforts to rehabilitate himself while in custody. His engagement with institutional programming demonstrates an effort to get at the cause of his violence and gain insight into his long-standing maladaptive criminal behaviour.

[36] Further, Mr. Correia's strong academic performance in his college courses while incarcerated illustrate he is capable of discipline and achievement which speaks to his rehabilitation potential.

iii. Duncan credit

[37] The harsh conditions of incarceration must be considered. [11] Mr. Correia experienced 242 days of lockdowns of the 638 days he was incarcerated. That means he was in lockdown about 38% of the time.

[38] During these lockdowns, Mr. Correia must decide what he needs most: have a shower; go to the yard; or make a phone call. He can only do one in the 30 minutes he is allowed out of his cell.

[39] The reason provided for 215 lockdowns is "staff shortage". [12] Therefore, 88% of the time Mr. Correia was in lockdown, was because of resource decisions made by the institution.

[40] To further exacerbate these unacceptable conditions, the TSDC is now over-crowded. A cell made for 2 men, with only 2 beds and 1 toilet houses 3 men. This was the case for 38% of the time Mr. Correia was incarcerated.

[41] There is a persistent institutional disregard for the resource requirements of managing this jail. These operational decisions deprive inmates of liberty and dignity contrary to the institution's own expectations and standards. These deprivations, imposed on a regular basis, negatively impact the physical and mental health of those awaiting trial and those serving their sentence. Mr. Correia is but one example.

[42] Courts have consistently admonished the TSDC and other facilities for the abhorrent conditions they impose on human beings—to no avail it appears.

[43] The court may take into consideration these harsh conditions as a mitigating factor pursuant to Marshall or take the more recent approach in *R. v. Shaikh*, 2024 ONSC 774, *R. v. Ahmed*, 2021 ONSC 8157, *R. v. Hassan*, 2023 ONSC 5040 and quantify the mitigation. I will do the latter.

iv. Principles

[44] During these sentencing proceedings, Mr. Correia has been an engaged and articulate litigant. He is aware of the objectives of sentencing and the principles the court must apply. He explained the history of challenges that underlies his criminal record. He apologized. He demonstrated his commitment to rehabilitation via his programming and education.

[45] I commend Mr. Correia's efforts at self-improvement while in-custody. He is most likely a better person because of those efforts. However, he is still unable to be crime-free, even while in jail and participating in the programming he spoke about.

[46] The fact is Mr. Correia had already completed 16 programs while incarcerated before he was released and viciously beat Ms. Baglole. He was on probation and had the opportunity to continue that counselling trajectory when, instead, he breached his probation and assaulted Ms. Baglole in her home causing her bodily harm.

[47] Mr. Correia's previous counselling and academic achievements while incarcerated did not protect Ms. Baglole from his violence when he was released.

[48] Intimate partner violence is an epidemic. It is a gendered crime that multi-pronged legislative and judicial efforts over decades have failed to ameliorate, much less eliminate. Mr. Correia is an example of a perpetrator who says and does all the right things but is a repeat offender. He assaulted Ms. Baglole. He hurt her. He was sentenced. He was released. Then, he did it again.

[49] This sentence must proportionally reflect the gravity of these offences and Mr. Correia's high blameworthiness. The community's condemnation of Mr. Correia's violence against his intimate partner must be clear. Incarceration is our society's strongest communication of denunciation, and so it must be the primary and guiding principle in this case, even when attenuated by rehabilitation, totality and parity.

VII. Sentence

[50] The appropriate sentence for the assault bodily harm and breach of probation is 4 years and the appropriate sentence for the threat is 2 months consecutive. However, the total sentence will be reduced to 3.5 years to account for the harsh conditions of incarceration, the principle of totality, and the commendable rehabilitative efforts of Mr. Correia.

[51] Mr. Correia's pre-sentence custody of 21 months will be enhanced to 32 months pursuant to Summers [13] credit and deducted from the 3.5-year sentence. He will serve an additional approximate 10 months. [14]

[52] Mr. Correia will be on probation for 2 years. The terms will be subject to submissions by the parties.

[53] There will be a DNA Order, and a s. 109 weapons prohibition for life.

Released: December 11, 2025

Signed: Justice Cidalia C.G. Faria

Footnotes:

[1] Sections 267(b) and 733.1 of the Criminal Code of Canada.

[2] Section 264.1(1)(a) of the Criminal Code of Canada.

[3] Exhibit 1: Pre-Sentence Report, Jamie Correia, October 20, 2025.

[4] Exhibit 4: Criminal Record, Jamie Correia.

[5] Exhibits 3a to 3o: Certificates and Transcripts and labelled.

[6] Exhibit 8: SOLGEN list of completed programs at the TSDC from December 2022 to May 2025, dated November 18, 2025.

[7] Exhibit 6: Victim Impact Statement, Amy Baglole.

[8] *R. v. J.D.*, 2018 ONSC 1198, R. v. Forde, [2012] O.J. 6348, *R. v. Gervais*, 2021 ONCA 404, *R. v. Seerattan*, 2019 ONSC 4340, *R. v. Louangrath*, 2016 ONCA 550, *R. v. Allen-Brown*, 2022 ONCJ 238.

[9] Exhibit 7: Toronto South Detention Centre, Lockdown Summary, March 13, 2024 to November 30, 2025.

[10] Exhibits 5a, 5b, and 5c: Photos of Amy Baglole's face, forehead, and left cheek.

[11] *R. v. Marshall*, 2021 ONCA 344.

[12] The reasons for the other 27 lockdowns are redacted.

[13] *R. v. Summers*, 2014 SCC 26.

[14] The exact calculation will be made by Corrections as PSC is 638 days enhanced to 957 days.