Former youth worker Christopher Passley has been sentenced to two years less a day in jail in connection to a vicious beating of his girlfriend in the city.
The sentence was handed down Tuesday by Judge David Kaiser and covers four charges: assault causing bodily harm, failure to keep the peace and two breaches of recognizance.
Kaiser sentenced Passley to the maximum 18 months incarceration for assault causing bodily harm. For failing to keep the peace, Kaiser sentenced Passley to 79 days time served.
For the two breaches of recognizance Kaiser imposed a sentence of six months less a day, concurrent to each other but consecutive to the assault causing bodily harm count. That brought the total jail time to 24 months less a day.
A one-year probation period is to follow with Passley ordered to follow several conditions, including no contact orders with the victim and the baby, of which Passley is the father.
A lifetime firearms ban was imposed as well. The Crown withdrew all other charges to which Passley did not plead guilty.
The charges stem from an Aug. 17 incident in which Passley was alleged to have beaten his girlfriend, Kendra Weenie. He was living with her at the time. She sustained an estimated 15 to 20 blows to the head, according to facts submitted in court by the Crown.
The beating happened while Passley was holding their newborn baby in his arm. The victim had given birth just eight days earlier.
Weenie's injuries included a right eye that was "frozen shut" as well as frozen lips. The Crown also alleged Passley had threatened to stab the victim and had also threatened to round up his friends to murder her.
The case received national attention when Weenie took to Facebook in desperation in mid-October to ask the public for help in locating Passley. The Crown noted in court that the picture of Weenie had shown a "stark contrast" in her appearance compared to prior to the Aug. 17 incident.
Following the beating, Passley was seen walking down 110th Street with the baby in his arms. He was located there by a couple of individuals and arrested by the RCMP. The Crown acknowledged in court that some "Good Samaritans" had come to the aid of the victim that day.
The Crown noted Passley kept on talking over top of the arresting constable while he was being read his rights, and that the accused had alleged the victim had hit him with a frying pan and stabbed him with a knife. According to the Crown, the police found absolutely no sign of any sort of injury to Passley.
Passley was remanded in custody, but was released from jail Sept. 4 following a contested show cause hearing. Among the conditions was a no contact order that forbade Passley from contacting the victim, as well as an electronic monitoring requirement.
The Crown noted the accused had sent 47 emails to Weenie between Sept. 17 and 20 and also removed his electronic monitoring bracelet.
An arrest warrant was issued after Passley went missing in September, prior to his scheduled Oct. 2 court date.
Passley was arrested Oct. 17 in Calgary, Alta. shortly after Weenie went public on Facebook with her plea for help, and remained remanded from that date. In addition to his other charges, Passley was charged with the two breach of recognizance counts for violating the no contact order and for removing the electronic monitoring bracelet.
In submissions before Judge Kaiser, Crown prosecutor Brenda Korchinski was highly critical of Passley's conduct and his statements to police. She dismissed Passley's claims of being stabbed, saying police found no evidence of that, and described Passley as a "pathological liar."
She voiced her consternation that Passley had a job working for Concern for Youth, saying she couldn't believe he would be in this position without a criminal record check. Passley had already served a conditional sentence order prior to the Aug. 17 incident.
Two bail supervision reports and a pre-sentence report had been issued, with Korchinski describing the bail supervision report findings as "scathing."
The defence tried to point to his previous diagnosis for attention deficit disorder, as well as volunteer and youth work in the community. It was also noted Passley took "full responsibility" for his actions.
The Crown called for a 15- to 18-month sentence for assault causing bodily harm and consecutive time for the other counts, for a total sentence of two years less a day. Prosecutors had proceeded with the case summarily, which meant the assault causing bodily harm charge carried an 18-month maximum in this case.
The defence called for a 12- to 15-month range and for remand credit of 1.5 to one for the 79 days served in custody.
Before being sentenced, Passley issued a lengthy and at times tearful apology to Weenie and to the community in his statement to the judge.
"I apologize for the pain I put her through," Passley said.
"I never wanted for any of this to happen and I feel absolutely horrible," he added, saying he "disrespected her" and also "broke her trust." He also issued a lengthy apology to a number of the organizations he had volunteered with and to the community, including to Mayor Ian Hamilton.
"I accept full responsibility. I have no excuses."
In imposing sentencing, a visibly angry Judge Kaiser gave Passley a verbal tongue-lashing. He made clear he did not believe Passley "about anything he says," nor did he believe his expressions of remorse.
Kaiser said Passley "cruelly beat Ms. Weenie" and pointed especially to the fact that it happened eight days after giving birth.
The judge used the words "inappropriate," "deeply wrong," "cruel" and "inhuman" in describing Passley's conduct.
Kaiser noted he was bound to follow the maximum of 18 months for summary conviction for assault causing bodily harm. Had the case not come before him summarily, Kaiser said he would have sentenced Passley to the penitentiary.
In speaking to reporters outside the courthouse Weenie commented on Passley's expressions of remorse, saying she "didn't believe any of it."
She said she was "satisfied with the sentencing. I thought it was fair." Weenie did say, however, "it's going to take a lot more for me to move on."
