Inmate sentenced to one year for jailhouse assault

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This article was published 16/02/2024 (580 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 33-year-old man was sentenced to a year in jail after pleading guilty to a jailhouse assault and numerous court-order breaches in provincial court on Thursday.

Jesse Anthony pleaded guilty to assault cause bodily harm, possession of methamphetamine and multiple charges of failing to comply with a court order.

Crown attorney Rich Lonstrup read the evidence for the charges in court.

In June 2023, security footage captured Anthony assaulting another man while at Brandon Correctional Centre. A video played during the sentencing proceedings showed Anthony sitting at a table while the victim was talking on the phone.

There was no audio on the video, but the victim appeared to say something to Anthony, who then got up from the table. Anthony took his shirt off and then began to punch the victim, following him as he moved around the room.

“There’s no doubt in terms of background here that (the victim) and Mr. Anthony had been having arguments for a week,” Lonstrup said.

Anthony also pleaded guilty to breaching his court-ordered curfew, including one instance where he was additionally found with crumpled-up paper containing crystal methamphetamine in his sock.

Lonstrup called the jailhouse fight a one-sided fight in which Anthony went after the victim and the victim did not retaliate when he was being punched by Anthony.

“Countless judges have said that the penalty and the seriousness is increased hugely when it happens in a custodial facility because the bare minimum the province owes to its inmates is to try and keep them safe,” the Crown attorney said.

Generally, offenders are given a credit of time-and-a-half for the time they spent in pre-sentence custody. However, Lonstrup argued that Anthony should not be entitled to receive the enhanced remand credit for the time he has already served in jail because of his violent behaviour while incarcerated. He suggested Anthony be handed a year-and-three-month sentence.

Anthony’s defence lawyer, Melissa Jenin, said her client has struggled with substance use issues and wants to better himself to take care of his young son. She said Anthony, who is from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation but spent time growing up in Brandon, plans to get his GED once released and find a steady job.

“I’m here to take responsibility for what happened,” Anthony, appearing in court from Brandon Correctional Centre by video, told the court.

Jenin argued her client should be granted time-and-a-half credit for six months he has already served, but not get credit for 30 days.

Associate Chief Justice Donovan Dvorak agreed with defence that Anthony should be given credit for some, but not all of the time he’s served.

“In this particular case, you have a history of violence, it was a fairly significant assault, it did cause injury,” the judge said, handing the man a year-long sentence.

After credit for time served, Anthony will spend another two months behind bars.

He was also sentenced to a term of probation and a $200 fine for the possession of meth charge.

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