R. v. M.J.M., (2006) 301 N.B.R.(2d) 284 (TD)

• Judge: Grant, J.
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick (Canada)
• Case Date: February 06, 2006
• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Citations: (2006), 301 N.B.R.(2d) 284 (TD);2006 NBQB 93

R. v. M.J.M. (2006), 301 N.B.R.(2d) 284 (TD);

    301 R.N.-B.(2e) 284; 783 A.P.R. 284

MLB headnote and full text

[French language version follows English language version]

[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]

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Temp. Cite: [2006] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. AP.013

Her Majesty the Queen v. M.J.M.

(S/CR/7/04; 2006 NBQB 93)

Indexed As: R. v. M.J.M.

New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench

Trial Division

Judicial District of Saint John

Grant, J.

February 6, 2006.

Summary:

In a decision reported at [2005] N.B.R.(2d) Uned. 27, the accused was convicted of sexually assaulting his stepdaughter in 1988 when she was 10 years old.

The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, sentenced the accused to 15 months' 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 5720.4

Punishments (sentence) - Conditional sentence - When available or appropriate - The accused was convicted of sexually assaulting his stepdaughter in 1988 when she was 10 - The defence sought a condi­tional sentence - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, sentenced the accused to 15 months' im­prisonment - In cases such as this where the assaults involved abuse of a position of trust and authority and had occurred re­peatedly over a long period of time (13 years), a conditional sentence would not have addressed the need for deterrence or to denounce such conduct - The appro­priate range of sentence was 12 to 20 months' imprisonment - Mitigating factors were the accused's lack of prior convic­tions, current stable family life and posi­tive employment history - These had to be balanced against the serious abuse of his position of trust over such a vulnerable victim and the humiliation and emotional damage he had inflicted on her.

Criminal Law - Topic 5831.1

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Offences involving breach of trust - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5720.4 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5833

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Deterrence - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5720.4 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5834.2

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Effect on victim (incl. victim impact statements) - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5720.4 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5837

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Mitigating circumstances - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5720.4 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5848.9

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Sexual offences against children (incl. child pornography) - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5720.4 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5932

Sentence - Sexual assault (incl. by multiple parties) - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5720.4 ].

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Proulx (J.K.D.), [2000] 1 S.C.R. 61; 249 N.R. 201; 142 Man.R.(2d) 161; 212 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 17].

R. v. L.F.W., [2000] 1 S.C.R. 132; 249 N.R. 345; 185 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 1; 562 A.P.R. 1, refd to. [para. 21].

R. v. D.A.H. (2003), 168 O.A.C. 176; 2003 CanLII 48216 (C.A.), dist. [para. 22].

R. v. Gladue (J.T.) (1999), 238 N.R. 1; 121 B.C.A.C. 161; 198 W.A.C. 161; 1999 CanLII 679 (S.C.C.), dist. [para. 22].

R. v. T.C.F. (1998), 163 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 17; 503 A.P.R. 17 (Nfld. T.D.), dist. [para. 23].

R. v. R.T. (2002), 210 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 343; 630 A.P.R. 343 (N.L. T.D.), dist. [para. 24].

R. v. R.C. (2001), 207 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 354; 620 A.P.R. 354 (Nfld. T.D.), dist. [para. 25].

R. v. P.M. (2002), 249 N.B.R.(2d) 164; 648 A.P.R. 164 (T.D.), dist. [para. 26].

R. v. C.J.T. - see R. v. Turcotte (C.J.).

R. v. Turcotte (C.J.) (2001), 239 N.B.R.(2d) 69; 619 A.P.R. 69 (T.D.), dist. [para. 26].

R. v. L.C.M., [2003] N.B.R.(2d) (Supp.) No. 1 (T.D.), dist. [para. 26].

R. v. E.S. (1997), 191 N.B.R.(2d) 3; 488 A.P.R. 3 (C.A.), dist. [para. 26].

R. v. A.S. (1998), 201 N.B.R.(2d) 1; 514 A.P.R. 1 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 27].

R. v. E.M. (1997), 194 N.B.R.(2d) 255; 496 A.P.R. 255 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 28].

R. v. K.D.H. (1999), 220 N.B.R.(2d) 76; 565 A.P.R. 76 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 29].

R. v. Egers (B.H.) (1998), 204 N.B.R.(2d) 366; 520 A.P.R. 366 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 30].

R. v. J.M., [2001] N.B.R.(2d) (Supp.) No. 56 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 31].

R. v. R.P. (2001), 241 N.B.R.(2d) 214; 625 A.P.R. 214 (T.D.), revd. (2001), 245 N.B.R.(2d) 179; 636 A.P.R. 179 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 32].

R. v. M.V. (2003), 266 N.B.R.(2d) 64; 698 A.P.R. 64 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 33].

Counsel:

John A. Henheffer, for the Crown;

Brian D. Munro, for the accused.

This matter was heard by Grant, J., of the New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, Judicial District of Saint John, who delivered the following decision orally on February 6, 2006.