Philip John Sherman

The offender pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud under $5,000 after holding himself out as a licensed paralegal and accepting funds from two victims for legal services he was not qualified to provide.

The court found the offences involved a serious breach of trust that undermined public confidence in the administration of justice.

Given the offender's prior convictions for similar conduct and the high risk of re-offending, the court rejected a conditional sentence and imposed a 6-month custodial sentence followed by 18 months of probation and full restitution.

The accused, K.B., was sentenced following his conviction for the sexual assault of his former spouse.

The offence involved non-consensual penetrative sex while the victim was sleeping, causing her significant ongoing psychological trauma.

The defense sought a conditional sentence of 18 months to two years, while the Crown argued for a four-year penitentiary term.

Justice Townsend concluded that a conditional sentence was inappropriate given the gravity of the offence and sentenced the accused to three years in the penitentiary, accompanied by ancillary orders.

Sentencing following convictions for two robberies and related offences including breach of a weapons prohibition order.

The offender robbed a pharmacy and a convenience store, threatening the pharmacy technician by claiming to have a gun and openly carrying an expandable baton during the second robbery.

The offences were committed while the offender was bound by both a probation order and a weapons prohibition order, and he possessed a stolen vehicle used in the robberies.

The court emphasized denunciation and deterrence given the offender’s lengthy criminal record and escalating violent conduct.

Accepting a joint submission, the court imposed a global sentence of five years’ imprisonment with credit for pre-trial custody, resulting in 35 months to be served, along with a lifetime weapons prohibition and a DNA order.