Judge reserves decision in skatepark stabbing case

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This article was published 17/03/2022 (1459 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A woman is facing a total sentence of more than three years behind bars for her role in a stabbing at Brandon’s downtown skatepark.

Naomi Williams, 26, was in court Thursday morning after previously pleading guilty to aggravated assault and mischief to a motor vehicle for her role in the Sept. 3, 2020 stabbing at the Kristopher Campbell Memorial Skate Plaza.

Williams was part of a group of five people charged with attacking Kevin Taylor, a Black man, near the skatepark, said Crown attorney Grant Hughes.

While there were “racial slurs” made during the incident, Hughes said they couldn’t be attributed to any specific person charged.

Taylor has since recovered after he was taken to hospital by a bystander, Hughes said.

“He was put in a very dangerous situation,” he said.

At one point, Taylor had one of the attackers pinned to the ground before several others started kicking and hitting him.

Williams had a more significant role in the assault than some of her co-accused, Hughes said, and slashed the tires on a nearby vehicle.

“Ms. Williams … comes from slashing the tires, comes directly to Mr. Taylor and stabs him at that point in time,” he told the court.

Hughes recommended a sentence of three and a half years in jail for the crime. While the Crown’s original stance was four years, he said it was mitigated by a positive pre-sentence report prepared before court on Thursday.

Defence lawyer Bob Harrison asked for a sentence of two and a half years time already served in jail for the crime, saying Williams was a very low point in September 2020. He also noted she pleaded guilty in the case.

At the time, she was high on multiple drugs, including methamphetamine, Xanax and alcohol, Harrison said. He added she hadn’t slept in three days.

“To say she was at a low point and a dark place is probably to put it pretty mild at the time. She was in a terrible place at the time, it doesn’t get much lower than what she was dealing with,” he said.

Williams also has “very prominent” Gladue factors, Harrison said, and had a childhood where she was exposed to alcohol, violence and abuse.

Despite the challenges, Harrison said Williams has taken 38 different programs while in pre-sentence custody and is looking toward the future.

Speaking to the court via video, Williams said she now has a different perspective on life and knows the people she was friends with before were negative influences. She also apologized to Taylor and the community for her actions.

“I’m ashamed and embarrassed, but the only thing I want to do is learn from my mistakes from now on. This is the longest time I’ve been in jail and this is the last time I want to be in,” she said.

Judge Patrick Sullivan reserved his decision on a sentence in the case, saying he needed more time to consider the sentence.

A date for the sentencing is expected to be set later in March.

In January, co-accused Savannah Catagas pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to one year of supervised probation for her role in the attack. Freedom Williams pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to 225 days time served in jail.

The charges for Annie Huntinghawk and Steven Jason Huntinghawk are still before the court. The charges have not been heard in court and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

» dmay@brandonsun.com

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