R. v. C.T.H., 2015 MBCA 4

• Judge: Steel, MacInnes and Monnin, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (Manitoba)
• Case Date: October 28, 2014
• Jurisdiction: Manitoba
• Citations: 2015 MBCA 4;(2015), 315 Man.R.(2d) 56 (CA)

R. v. C.T.H. (2015), 315 Man.R.(2d) 56 (CA);

      630 W.A.C. 56

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2015] Man.R.(2d) TBEd. JA.027

Her Majesty The Queen (respondent) v. H. (C.T.) (young person/appellant)

(AY 14-30-08166; 2015 MBCA 4)

Indexed As: R. v. C.T.H.

Manitoba Court of Appeal

Steel, MacInnes and Monnin, JJ.A.

January 15, 2015.

Summary:

A young person pled guilty to seven violent offences arising from incidents on two separate dates. The court imposed an effective adult sentence of seven years less time in custody (two years) to be served in a youth custody facility. The young person appealed.

The Manitoba Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.

Editor's Note: The case reported below was initialized by the court and contained the following notation on the cover: "Pursuant to s. 110(2)(a) of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the prohibition on publication set out in s. 110(1) does not apply when the young person received an adult sentence. However, s. 110(2)(a) only takes effect after the appeal period expires".

Criminal Law - Topic 5804

Sentencing - General - Consecutive sentences - Reduced total term (totality principle) - The Manitoba Court of Appeal discussed generally the application of the totality principle in sentencing - See paragraphs 57 to 59.

Criminal Law - Topic 8817.8

Young offenders - Decisions (incl. punishments) - Adult sentence - The Manitoba Court of Appeal discussed when an adult sentence could be imposed on a young person - See paragraphs 22 to 26.

Criminal Law - Topic 8817.8

Young offenders - Decisions (incl. punishments) - Adult sentence - A young person pled guilty to seven violent offences (two counts assault with a weapon, four counts robbery with a weapon, and one count aggravated assault) arising from incidents on two separate dates - He was 15 at the time - Aboriginal - Difficult childhood - Life experience was one of neglect - Lengthy history of substance abuse - Prior record for property-related offences - First instance of violent offences - Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder - Impaired brain function - The court imposed an effective adult consecutive sentence of seven years less time in custody (two years) to be served in a youth custody facility - The young person appealed - The Manitoba Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal - The sentencing judge was entitled to deference in the exercise of her discretion in concluding that it would take more than three years for the young person to be safely reintegrated into the community and, therefore, an adult sentence was necessary.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Gladue (J.T.), [1999] 1 S.C.R. 688; 238 N.R. 1; 121 B.C.A.C. 161; 198 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 17].

R. v. D.B., [2008] 2 S.C.R. 3; 374 N.R. 221; 237 O.A.C. 110; 2008 SCC 25, refd to. [para. 18].

R. v. A.A.Z. (2013), 291 Man.R.(2d) 152; 570 W.A.C. 152; 298 C.C.C.(3d) 159; 2013 MBCA 33, refd to. [para. 18].

R. v. L.M., [2008] 2 S.C.R. 163; 374 N.R. 351; 2008 SCC 31, refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. Arbuthnot (S.M.) (2009), 245 Man.R.(2d) 244; 466 W.A.C. 244; 2009 MBCA 106, refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. C.A.M., [1996] 1 S.C.R. 500; 194 N.R. 321; 73 B.C.A.C. 81; 120 W.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 20].

R. v. A.O. et al. (2007), 222 O.A.C. 38; 2007 ONCA 144, refd to. [para. 23].

R. v. Z.T.S. (2012), 284 Man.R.(2d) 55; 555 W.A.C. 55; 2012 MBCA 90, refd to. [para. 26].

R. v. Nasogaluak (L.M.), [2010] 1 S.C.R. 206; 398 N.R. 107; 474 A.R. 88; 479 W.A.C. 88; 2010 SCC 6, refd to. [para. 44].

R. v. McKnight (R.) (1999), 119 O.A.C. 364; 44 O.R.(3d) 263 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 44].

R. v. Ipeelee (M.), [2012] 1 S.C.R. 433; 428 N.R. 1; 288 O.A.C. 224; 318 B.C.A.C. 1; 541 W.A.C. 1; 2012 SCC 13, refd to. [para. 46].

R. v. Gabriel (Q.J.) (2013), 291 Man.R.(2d) 291; 570 W.A.C. 291; 2013 MBCA 45, refd to. [para. 47].

R. v. Draper (T.G.) (2010), 251 Man.R.(2d) 267; 478 W.A.C. 267; 2010 MBCA 35, refd to. [para. 52].

R. v. Artimowich (R.G.) (2013), 294 Man.R.(2d) 136; 581 W.A.C. 136; 2013 MBCA 62, refd to. [para. 55].

R. v. Kozussek (S.A.), [2013] Man.R.(2d) Uned. 30; 2013 MBCA 52, refd to. [para. 57].

R. v. Reader (M.) (2008), 225 Man.R.(2d) 118; 419 W.A.C. 118; 2008 MBCA 42, refd to. [para. 58].

R. v. Traverse (L.) et al. (2008), 231 Man.R.(2d) 123; 437 W.A.C. 123; 238 C.C.C.(3d) 330; 2008 MBCA 110, refd to. [para. 58].

Statutes Noticed:

Youth Criminal Justice Act, S.C. 2002, c. 1, sect. 3(1)(b)(ii), sect. 38, sect. 72 [para. 21].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Chartrand, Larry N., and Forbes-Chilibeck, Ella M., The Sentencing of Offenders with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (2003), 11 Health L.J. 35, generally [para. 11].

Popova, Svetlana, et al., Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Prevalence Estimates in Correctional Systems: A Systemic Literature Review (2011), 102:5 Can. J. Public Health 336, generally [para. 11].

Counsel:

L.M. Van Dongen, for the appellant;

A.Y. Kotler and C.R. Savage, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on October 28, 2014, before Steel, MacInnes and Monnin, JJ.A., of the Manitoba Court of Appeal. The following judgment was delivered for the court by Steel, J.A., on January 15, 2015.