16 hours ago
Man pleads guilty to Oak Bay machete attack that left woman with life-altering injuries
A man who used a machete during a robbery in Oak Bay eight years ago, leaving a woman with life-altering injuries, has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and breaking and entering.
The attack happened on April 25, 2017, when Kaspar Handspiker broke into a home in the 2500 block of Esplanade Road.
He attacked Nermeen Alizreza, who was alone at the time, leaving her with serious injuries to her arm and hand, according to police.
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Handspiker fled the scene and was not caught until six years later, when he was arrested in Maple Ridge after a lengthy investigation by the Saanich Police Department's Major Crime Unit.
He pleaded guilty in court last Wednesday.
'Mr. Handspiker's guilty plea brings a measure of closure to what was a deeply shocking and troubling incident in our community,' Oak Bay Police Chief Julie Channin said in a media release.
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'We all lost a little something that day, but I'm hopeful this outcome allows Oak Bay residents to move past this.'
Handspiker is due to be sentenced at a later date.
