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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Deserting kids gets dad year in jail
Abandoned girls on cold, rainy evening
A Winnipeg man has been sentenced to one year in jail for abandoning his two young children on a North End street on a cold, rainy day last October.
The 24-year-old, who can't be named to protect the identity of the two victims, admitted he was angry at the children's mother for leaving him alone with them to go out partying with friends the previous night.
He responded by going to a Manitoba Avenue house he thought the mother and her friends were at and leaving them on the front step without first confirming anyone was home. It was just after 4 p.m. and the residence was empty.
His 20-month-old daughter became hysterical after he left them alone, running down the sidewalk in tears screaming "Daddy, Daddy," said neighbours who spotted her and called police. Her six-week-old sister remained in her car seat wearing only a light sleeper as rain fell, the wind gusted to 37 kilometres per hour and the temperature was just 8 C, court was told.
"He's very fortunate nothing horrible happened. The results could have been catastrophic," said Crown attorney Nicole Roch. "Fortunately, these types of cases are relatively rare in this country."
Police were able to quickly identify the children and contact their mother, who was recovering from a night of heavy drinking. She was reunited with her children under the supervision of Child and Family Services.
The father turned himself in to police 10 days later and was charged with child abandonment, to which he pleaded guilty on Thursday. He told officers he didn't feel he had the necessary skills to parent alone and was upset his partner left him with the young kids.
"He said he knew it was stupid and he shouldn't have done it," said Roch.
The accused comes from a horrific upbringing of his own, filled with neglect and was never provided the tools for parenting, said his lawyer, who was seeking a sentence of 31/2 months time served in custody.
"I really don't care what happens. I already lost everything," the man said in court Thursday through tears. "I'm sorry."
Provincial court Judge Mary Kate Harvie said a much stronger sentence was needed, giving the man another 81/2 months behind bars followed by two years of supervised probation. His conditions include having no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 12 and attending parenting courses.
www.mikeoncrime.com
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 15, 2013 A7
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