One of two men who broke into two seniors’ homes, beat them and demanded keys to their vehicles last February looked impassive as Judge J. Maher read from a victim impact statement in Boyle Provincial Court last Tuesday.
David Norman Boudreau, 42, pled guilty to assault, unlawful confinement and robbery-related charges last September; he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment last week.
Before the sentence was handed down, Maher read the words of a 70-year-old woman Boudreau beat with the help of a co-accused man after the pair forced their way into the woman’s home on the Buffalo Lake Métis Settlement Feb. 2.
The woman said in her statement that she finds it hard to fall asleep and is awakened by any sudden noise.
“My stomach is in constant turmoil,” the statement read.
The victim said she had a sensitive chest from the beatings and that her right eyelid felt like it was sagging. She has flashbacks when she sees people resembling her attackers, and her head feels like a balloon with water in it, she explained of the post-trauma fog.
The 70-year-old woman was the second victim that night; the first was a 79-year-old man in a separate home on the settlement who had one leg. The man needed 100 stitches as a result of stab wounds sustained during the attack, and his nose and elbow were broken.
Judge Maher noted that the fact there were two separate incidents was an aggravating factor — in fact, he added, “One could say there were three.”
The attackers beat the 79-year-old and confined other people in the house to a separate room; when the victim gave the attackers the vehicle keys they demanded, they tried to start the vehicle but could not. They then returned to the house and beat the man a second time.
Maher added that the 40-minute duration of the “vicious and unprovoked” attack on the 79-year-old was also an aggravating factor, as was the fact that both victims were rural residents and lived far from sources of help.
Maher said Boudreau entered a guilty plea in a timely fashion — something the Crown conceded spared the victims from having to testify in court. However, Crown prosecutor Jeff Morrison’s words — “He’s a violent man and a threat to the community” — were ones the judge closely echoed. Maher told Boudreau he was very close to being designated a dangerous offender.
The defence argued, “Mr. Boudreau grew up in a violent environment. He was taught violence.” While the judge conceded there was much in Boudreau’s upbringing to elicit sympathy, he also pointed to Boudreau’s age and said his actions were not the result of youthful impulses.
Maher gave Boudreau credit for 16 months already spent in custody, meaning Boudreau has eight years and eight months remaining in his sentence. Boudreau was also ordered to give a DNA sample.
Boudreau was sentenced for aggravated assault, unlawful confinement, two counts of breaking and entering with intent to commit an indictable offence, robbery and common assault.
Boudreau was also sentenced to 30 days, concurrent with the time he is serving related to the Feb. 2 incident, for a Dec. 7, 2012, incident.
Boyle RCMP were called to a domestic dispute that day and found Boudreau at a residence where he was not wanted. He pled guilty to being unlawfully in a dwelling-house last Tuesday.
Boudreau’s co-accused in the case of the attacks on seniors, Dakota Clane Boudreau, pled guilty to several charges last October, including unlawful confinement, breaking and entering with intent to commit an indictable offence, and robbery. He will be sentenced March 25 and will speak to other charges at that time.
Last Tuesday, Keith Bradley Nadeau, 25, pled guilty to impaired driving and to driving with blood alcohol content over .08, as well as driving while unauthorized.
Nadeau told Boyle Provincial Court he has been sober for two months and that since his nephew’s birth, he has realized he needs to set an example.
The charges stemmed from what the Crown called two “back-to-back” incidents: one in February 2013 and one in September 2013.
In the first incident, Boyle RCMP responded to a call on Feb. 18 from a relative of Nadeau’s saying Nadeau had been driving while impaired. Police found Nadeau’s vehicle parked in an alley behind a residence, and when they located Nadeau, he presented signs of inebriation. He gave breath samples that showed blood alcohol readings of .24 and .26.
Nadeau was unauthorized to drive when he was pulled over in September, at which time police noticed alcohol on his breath. Breath samples registered at .20 and .18.
Maher gave Nadeau a total of $4,585 in fines and $630 in victim fine surcharges, as well as a two-year driving prohibition.
Richard Allan Miles, 56, was pulled over by Boyle RCMP for a stop sign violation in Wandering River Nov. 8, 2013.
RCMP then noticed Miles appeared to have been drinking. Breath samples from Miles read .18 and .17.
Last Tuesday, Judge Maher handed Miles a $1,800 fine plus $540 victim fine surcharge, as well as a one-year driving prohibition, for driving with blood alcohol content over .08.
Marie Louise Howse was parked at a tavern on Dec. 7, 2013, and when she pulled away, Boyle RCMP stopped her. The breath samples she provided were as high as .12.
The defence noted 64-year-old Howse had lost two good friends that week, and he said she had acknowledged the mistake she made in drinking and driving.
Judge Maher handed Howse a $1,800 fine plus $540 victim fine surcharge, as well as a one-year driving prohibition, for driving with blood alcohol content over .08.
