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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Unrepentant rapist sentenced to 11 years for attacks
A remorseless Manitoba rapist who told court he "forgives" his young female victim has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Russell Harry appeared in court Thursday to be sentenced for sexually assaulting a woman in 2009, then invading her home and stabbing her weeks later in an attempt to silence her.
Harry, 39, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. When asked by the judge during sentencing submissions last month if he had anything to say, he didn't hold back.
"I pray for the people who came against me and gave false testimony," he said. "God knows everything about everyone on the Earth. He knows the hearts of men. Some are evil, some are good. He knows I did not lie in court."
The Crown was seeking 13 years in prison, while Harry's lawyer asked for five to eight years behind bars. Harry has an extensive criminal history and has been deemed a high risk to reoffend.
Crown attorney Debbie Buors told court the only way to protect society from him is with a lengthy sentence, especially given his lack of remorse or empathy for the victim.
"Obviously through past incarcerations he didn't get the message," Buors said. "I'm not sure Mr. Harry is a person willing to be rehabilitated."
Harry was living on the Little Black River First Nation when he attacked the young woman, who was the ex-girlfriend of his younger brother. He sexually assaulted her while another man pinned her to the ground, court was told. The victim didn't immediately go to police. Harry became concerned she was going to reveal what happened and went to her house weeks later, armed with a knife. He dragged the woman by her hair outside, down a flight of stairs and slashed her leg while choking and threatening her.
"He deliberately attended at her residence so she would not go to police about the sexual assault," Buors said. The two attacks have had an "extreme psychological" impact on the victim, who gave a handwritten statement to court that the Crown read aloud.
"I am always having flashbacks. I feel so ashamed, so dirty and disgusted," she wrote. "I have nightmares where I wake up kicking and screaming. I don't like how this feels. It's awful and I hate myself."
Harry spent three years in pretrial custody, leaving eight years on his sentence.
www.mikeoncrime.com
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 28, 2012 A6
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