Judge sentences man to four and a half years for wild early evening violent-crime spree in St. Boniface

A man who pleaded guilty to a bizarre series of violent incidents in St. Boniface last June — which included pushing a vulnerable woman with cerebral palsy to the floor after he forced his way into her home — has been sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison.

Provincial court Judge Julie Frederickson sentenced Matthew Raymond James Stevens, 39, on Thursday, after his earlier guilty plea to charges of assault, assault with a weapon, theft under $5,000 and break and enter to a house.

She outlined the facts of the unusual crimes as Stevens watched via video from Headingley jail, where he’s been locked up awaiting court since shortly after his arrest. He’ll serve about 3 1/2 years going forward, considering time served.

Stevens was spotted rifling through a man’s vehicle on Dupont Street by neighbours at about 6 p.m. on June 14. Stevens, who had taken off his shoes and replaced them with a pair that he found in the man’s vehicle, also took an electronic tablet.

Neighbours called for police and alerted the vehicle’s owner, who asked Stevens to give back his property. Stevens dropped the tablet and ran off, still wearing the victim’s shoes, and tried to break into another vehicle on Enfield Crescent soon after.

That vehicle’s owner confronted Stevens, who then took off the first victim’s shoes and threw them, as well as a brick, at the second victim. He missed with the shoes but hit the man with the brick, then kept running.

On Hamel Avenue, just after 7 p.m., Stevens knocked on the home of a woman who has cerebral palsy who lives with her father.

“When she opened the door, he pushed his way inside. She screamed for help,” said Frederickson. “He grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her to the ground. Once again, he fled.”

The woman’s father chased after Stevens, who “somehow” once again found bricks, and threw two of them at the man — striking him with one — and continued to run as the father continued the chase.

The man, in his 60s, had been chasing Stevens for about two kilometres and stopped after he began to feel unwell. He went to a hospital, where it was discovered he’d suffered a heart attack, the judge said.

Winnipeg Police Service officers arrested Stevens at about 8 p.m. that night in the area of Waterfront Drive and Bannatyne Avenue.

Crown prosecutor Andrea Lett asked Frederickson to sentence Stevens to 51/2 years in prison in total. His lawyer, Zilla Jones, sought 21/2 years in total, plus probation.

Stevens was diagnosed with methamphetamine-induced psychosis while in jail.

He told a probation officer preparing a pre-sentence report that he was so high on the powerful stimulant at the time that he could hardly recall any details of the incidents.

But Frederickson said he exhibited behaviour that showed deliberate conduct, also noting Stevens has not been taking his prescribed medication.

She noted Stevens was lucid when he spoke with officers after his arrest and was cleared by paramedics.

She said if Stevens had not pleaded guilty and saved the vulnerable victim from having to testify in court, she would have gone with the Crown’s request for a lengthier sentence.

The woman no longer feels safe in her home, but is currently on a wait list with her father for appropriate accommodations that will suit her accessibility needs, Frederickson said.

Stevens is originally from Sapotaweyak Cree Nation and has a record that includes several break-and-enter convictions.

Stevens had initially been charged by police with sex assault in relation to how the vulnerable victim was pushed, but that charge was not ultimately pursued in court after discussions between his lawyer and Crown prosecutors about Stevens’s plea.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca