Winnipeg Free Press > Latest News > Girl sentenced to probation for 'outrageous' attack that left victim brain-damaged

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Girl sentenced to probation for 'outrageous' attack that left victim brain-damaged

By: Mike McIntyre

Posted: 08/26/2010 3:39 PM

WINNIPEG - A Winnipeg man suffered permanent brain damage after being swarmed and beaten by a group of teenagers while walking in Transcona last winter.

The 48-year-old victim spent two months in a coma and remains in hospital confined to a wheelchair and requiring around-the-clock assistance, court was told at the sentencing hearing this week of one of the man's attackers.

"He effectively has no quality of life," Crown attorney Joanna Kostiuk told court on Wednesday.

Police have charged four people with the attack – a 15-year-old girl and three boys aged 16, 17 and 18. The girl pleaded guilty this week to assault and was sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation. The boys' cases remain before the courts.

Kostiuk said the Dec. 4 incident began when the victim – who admits to being intoxicated – yelled at a 13-year-old girl to "come here" as they passed each other on opposite sides of Winona Street around 9 p.m.

The young girl retreated to a nearby home, where several friends were having a party, court was told. Two boys, aged 16 and 18, allegedly ran out of the house looking for the man, believing he was making sexual advances towards the girl.

"We discovered later that wasn’t the case at all," said Kostiuk. "Who interpreted that as a threatening comment is still under investigation."

The two boys are accused of catching up to the victim, punching him repeatedly in the face, knocking him to the ground, stomping on his head and kicking him in the stomach.

Two more youths – the 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy – then entered the picture and delivered several kicks to the unconscious victim, court was told.

He was discovered by other pedestrians in the area and rushed to hospital in critical condition.

Kostiuk said the girl has showed little remorse for her actions during an interview with police.

"It was a horrible incident," she said. "I hope her attitude is different now than when she was arrested."

Provincial court Judge Tim Preston called the girl’s actions "outrageous," even though he conceded the bulk of the physical damage was likely inflicted by other accused.

"You should never have gone near that man and kicked him while he was unconscious," said Preston.

He ordered the girl to write a letter of apology to the victim and perform 50 hours of community service work as part of her probation.
 

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