A remorseful Jarett Phillips, 21, was sentenced to a conditional discharge with 12 months’ probation, and ordered to pay restitution for the assault of a man in an Estevan bar.
On September 14, during a late night altercation at approximately 1:45 a.m., police were called to The Beef, where a male patron was discovered to be bloodied and swollen. Phillips sucker-punched the complainant in the nose, an attack that led to a fractured nose and two black eyes. In his pre-sentence report, Phillips was said to be intoxicated, and claimed he was assaulted earlier in the night, mistaking the complainant for the individual alleged to have assaulted him.
With video surveillance of the premises and the assistance of staff at the venue, police were able to identify and arrest Phillips, who was identified, wearing the same clothes as in surveillance footage, and matching witness descriptions.
Phillips was shown leniency in his sentencing, due to a number of mitigating factors disclosed in his pre-sentencing report. Phillips came before the court with no prior criminal record. The offence was described as being out of character and with no prior planning or deliberation preceding it. He was determined to be of low risk to reoffend, and despite the severity of the injuries he inflicted, he expressed deep remorse, having written a letter of apology to the complainant. An additional mitigating factor was that Phillips entered an early guilty plea to the charge.
Phillips was described in the pre-sentence report as having a great deal of positive social support from his family and girlfriend, who all showed concern for him and had consternation for his actions. He is currently enrolled in a millwright-mechanic program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, and employed as an apprentice millwright in Estevan. Phillips has the recommendation of his employer, and it was a contention that a criminal record may harm his future career prospects, doing permanent damage to his livelihood.
While there were initial concerns about the complainant’s eyesight, with the injuries he sustained, he is to fully recover. Due to his injuries, the complainant had to seek treatment from a doctor in Estevan and a specialist in Regina. Because of the financial stress this put on the complainant, Phillips was ordered to pay restitution to reimburse the complainant of the costs associated with lost work time and travelling expenses incurred.
Conditions associated with Phillips’ sentencing also include mandatory assessment, treatment, and counselling on the recommendation of his probation officer, and to pay $600 in restitution, plus a surcharge of $100 (within the first 10 months of his sentencing), this to be paid to the complainant through the court. Phillips was also required to write a letter of apology to the complainant, and have no contact with him.
