R. v. F.H., 2015 NSSC 43

• Judge: Murray, J.
• Court: Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: January 14, 2015
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: 2015 NSSC 43;(2015), 356 N.S.R.(2d) 60 (SC)

R. v. F.H. (2015), 356 N.S.R.(2d) 60 (SC);

    1126 A.P.R. 60

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2015] N.S.R.(2d) TBEd. MR.029

Her Majesty the Queen v. F.H.

(PtH No. 410237; 2015 NSSC 43)

Indexed As: R. v. F.H.

Nova Scotia Supreme Court

Murray, J.

January 14, 2015.

Summary:

A jury convicted the 67 year old accused of buggery, incest, sexual assault, indecent assault, gross indecency and sexual intercourse with a female under age 14. The offences related to the sexual abuse of his daughter in the mid 1970's until the early or mid 1980's starting when she was about four years of age. The abuse progressed from fondling to oral sex and digital penetration of her vagina and then to forced vaginal and anal intercourse.

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court sentenced the accused to a global sentence of nine years' imprisonment.

Editor's Note: Certain names in the following case have been initialized or the case otherwise edited to prevent the disclosure of identities where required by law, publication ban, Maritime Law Book's editorial policy or otherwise.

Criminal Law - Topic 5848.9

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Sexual offences against children (incl. child pornography) - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5918 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5856

Sentence - Indecent assault - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5918 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5863

Sentence - Incest - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5918 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5884

Sentence - Sexual intercourse with female under 14 - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5918 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5905

Sentence - Gross indecency - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5918 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5918

Sentence - Buggery or bestiality - A jury convicted the 67 year old accused of buggery, incest, sexual assault, indecent assault, gross indecency and sexual intercourse with a female under age 14 - The offences related to the sexual abuse of his daughter in the mid 1970's until the early or mid 1980's starting when she was about four years of age - The abuse progressed from fondling to oral sex and digital penetration of her vagina and then to forced vaginal and anal intercourse - The accused denied responsibility and was not remorseful - The Crown sought 10-12 years' imprisonment - The accused argued for a global sentence of three years' imprisonment - The Nova Scotia Supreme Court held that there was an element of planning and premeditation - Threats to kill her mother were made if the daughter resisted or told anyone - The daughter suffered medical problems contemporaneous with the sexual assaults, but the medical evidence was inconclusive as to whether the abuse caused the problems - The accused had no prior criminal record - Denunciation and deterrence were paramount for sexual offences against children - The assaults constituted an egregious breach of trust by a parent - Although the assaults were not as regular or continuous as other cases cited by the Crown, the assaults did persist for a number of years - The court sentenced the accused to a total of nine years' imprisonment, being four years' imprisonment for buggery, three years' imprisonment (consecutive) for incest, two years' imprisonment (consecutive) for sexual assault, three years' imprisonment (concurrent) for indecent assault, three years' imprisonment (concurrent) for gross indecency, and three years' imprisonment (concurrent) for sexual intercourse with a female under age 14.

Criminal Law - Topic 5932

Sentence - Sexual assault - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5918 ].

Cases Noticed:

R. v. D.W., [1991] 1 S.C.R. 742; 122 N.R. 277; 46 O.A.C. 352, refd to. [para. 48].

R. v. Morine (C.R.) (2011), 298 N.S.R.(2d) 314; 945 A.P.R. 314; 2011 NSSC 46, refd to. [para. 67].

R. v. Ruzic (M.), [2001] 1 S.C.R. 687; 268 N.R. 1; 145 O.A.C. 235; 2001 SCC 24, refd to. [para. 67].

R. v. Chaulk and Morrissette, [1990] 3 S.C.R. 1303; 119 N.R. 161; 69 Man.R.(2d) 161, refd to. [para. 67].

R. v. H.S. (2014), 318 O.A.C. 299; 2014 ONCA 323, refd to. [para. 70].

R. v. Oliver (P.G.) (2007), 250 N.S.R.(2d) 296; 796 A.P.R. 296; 2007 NSCA 15, refd to. [para. 72].

R. v. Gordon (1984), 35 Sask.R. 269; 1984 CanLII 2564 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 75].

R. v. Cromwell (Y.M.) (2005), 238 N.S.R.(2d) 17; 757 A.P.R. 17; 2005 NSCA 137, refd to. [para. 76].

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. 77].

R. v. A.N. (2011), 300 N.S.R.(2d) 282; 950 A.P.R. 282; 2011 NSCA 21, refd to. [para. 78].

R. v. G.O.H. (1995), 142 N.S.R.(2d) 273; 407 A.P.R. 273 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 83].

R. v. E.A.F. (1994), 127 N.S.R.(2d) 239; 355 A.P.R. 239 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 86].

R. v. R.R.D.G. (2014), 347 N.S.R.(2d) 1; 1098 A.P.R. 1 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 87].

R. v. E.J.W. (1993), 120 N.S.R.(2d) 66; 332 A.P.R. 66 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 90].

R. v. S.C.C. (2004), 225 N.S.R.(2d) 4; 713 A.P.R. 4; 2004 NSPC 41, refd to. [para. 91].

R. v. D.D. (2002), 157 O.A.C. 323 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 92].

R. v. Bauer (D.), [2013] O.A.C. Uned. 569 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 94].

R. v. S. (2002), 208 N.S.R.(2d) 191; 652 A.P.R. 191 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 98].

R. v. E.M.W. (2011), 308 N.S.R.(2d) 15; 976 A.P.R. 15 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 100].

R. v. H.S.L. (2000), 231 N.B.R.(2d) 358; 597 A.P.R. 358 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 101].

Counsel:

Cheryl Schurman, for the Crown;

Adam Rodgers, for F.H.

This matter was heard on November 3-7, 2014, at Port Hawkesbury, N.S., before Murray, J., of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, who imposed sentence orally on January 14, 2015, with the following written decision filed on February 24, 2015.