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Sex offender has sentence reduced

By: Mike McIntyre

Posted: 09/8/2010 2:09 PM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

Manitoba’s highest court has slashed a prison sentence given to a high-risk sex offender who randomly stalked and molested a woman in a Winnipeg shopping mall.

Corey Wright, 39, was originally sentenced to four years behind bars but learned Wednesday the Court of Appeal had reduced it to three years.

Justice Richard Chartier said the initial penalty given to Wright "falls outside an acceptable range of sentences under similar circumstances, making it demonstrably unfit." Chartier noted the trial judge found the 2008 incident didn’t meet the legal definition of a "major sexual assault" - but then imposed a sentence as if it was.

Wright was found guilty of sexual assault for following a young woman around a shopping mall for 30 minutes, then running up behind her, grabbing her waist and forcing his hand between her legs. She screamed and ran away.

"The facts are very disconcerting," aid Chartier. "Although the victim was not physically injured from the attack, she suffered emotional and psychological harm."

Police were able to quickly identity and arrest Wright because the attack was caught on surveillance video, court was told.

Wright has a lengthy criminal history with more than 40 prior convictions, including five for "sexually-motivated" offences. Three involved exposing himself to women, one was for making indecent phone calls and the other was for criminal harassment against a female victim who he also stalked and exposed himself to in a shopping mall.

"What is clear from the latest incident...is that there is a noticeable and troublesome escalation in the level of violence used by the accused," said Chartier. "Furthermore, at the time of sentencing, the accused had done little to address his offending behaviour."

The Crown had originally sought a five-year sentence for Wright, while his lawyer asked for a 26-month penalty.

Wright had served pre-trial custody which was given-double time credit of 23 months. Chartier has now ordered him to spend another 13 months behind bars, to be followed by two years of supervised probation. His conditions include mandatory sex offender counselling and having no contact with the victim.

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