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News.com.au
2 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Man jailed for 21 years over sexual abuse of two daughters
A predatory father who committed ongoing sexual abuse against his two daughters has been jailed for 21 years, as a judge labelled his actions a 'breach of trust of the highest order'. The man, who can only be called SN, was found guilty of 23 charges – including multiple counts each of indecent assault and sexual intercourse without consent – after a landmark trial before the NSW District Court last year. During the trial, one of the victims gave evidence as several of her 22 different personalities. On Thursday, the court heard of the horrific abuse the girls were subjected to at their family home in the Hunter Region over six to seven years, and how SN has shown no remorse. Judge Ian Bourke recounted how one of the girls, AB, was abused in bedrooms, in the bath and on several occasions in the shower after being cornered by her father. On one occasion, when AB came to tell SN their other family members had left the home, he said: 'Good, we get some alone time'. She tried to leave the room but he ordered her to 'sit the f*** back down' before sexually abusing her. After one of the incidents a distressed AB told her father she would 'cut off' his penis if he ever tried to abuse her again. Judge Bourke said he believed the accounts of both AB and her sister LN that the charged incidents were not the only cases of sexual abuse they were subjected to by SN. 'Depraved' actions This meant, the judge said, the offences for which he was to be sentenced could not be considered 'lapses' or 'isolated aberration'. 'It has been said the sexual abuse by a father of their own child is a breach of trust of the highest order,' Judge Bourke said. There was nothing in SN's past that could 'explain, let alone mitigate' his actions, the judge said. 'The offender preyed on his two children for his own selfish and depraved sexual gratification,' Judge Bourke said on sentence. 'The offender maintains his innocence and so there is no remorse.' Both victims – who were aged in their teens at the time of the incidents – also spoke of ongoing physical and emotional abuse from their father, the court heard. During the trial, the court was told LN had been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder and was just one of 22 'system members' – or distinct personalities. 'We tell the truth' She gave evidence over 10 days and was sworn in under multiple personalities, including that of a five-year-old girl. On the stand, LN told the jury she had no memory of her life before the age of 18 when she 'solidified' her identity. Later, the jury watched as the entity of the little girl emerged on request from SN's barrister after LN put on some headphones and listened to music. She sucked on her pointer finger and clutched a stuffed bunny rabbit as she answered Garry Sundstrom's questions in a childlike manner. The court heard the five-year-old entity, who spoke in third person, told police she did not like 'the tickling game' her father allegedly played with her. '[I] say 'no daddy no',' she said. Speaking as LN, she said under cross-examination the system members 'do nothing but tell the truth, Garry'. 'And we will die saying what our father did – no matter if it's me or other system members – happened.' Judge Bourke sentenced SN to a non-parole period of 14 years, backdated from when he was taken into custody in December, meaning he would first be eligible for release in 2038. A domestic violence order was also set down to remain in place until 2047, two years after SN's head sentence would expire in 2045.
CBC
2 days ago
- General
- CBC
Former Edmonton homicide detective charged with breach of trust
Social Sharing A former Edmonton police officer has been charged with breach of trust for sharing confidential investigative information with the media without authorization. Retired Staff Sgt. Bill Clark was charged Tuesday, Edmonton Police Service said in a news release. Police provided few details about the allegations, but said the investigation was conducted by the Edmonton Police Service Professional Standards Branch with oversight from the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, the province's police watchdog. The investigation was reviewed by the Alberta Crown Prosecution Services in Calgary to determine if criminal charges were warranted. Prosecutors recommended the former officer be charged with one count of breach of trust, police said. Police declined to provide further details on the investigation as the case is currently before the court. CBC News reached Clark Wednesday but he declined to comment on the charge or the investigation. Clark served 44 years with Edmonton police before his retirement in May 2024. He was a high-profile and vocal member of the EPS and his tenure with the service was not without controversy. In 2011, his remarks about a homicide at busy nightclub triggered a complaint from the victim's widow, who suggested he had unfairly labelled Edmonton's Somali community as unwilling to co-operate with police. Following the shooting, Clark had expressed his frustration that only one witness gave police a description of a suspect even though the club was full of people. In 2018, he faced a formal complaint for comments he made about criminals and the death penalty during a guest lecture at the University of Alberta. A group of law students later stepped forward to defend his remarks. He was ultimately docked 10 hour's pay. A longtime homicide detective, he was known for his candid approach to media interviews. He served as detective on a string of high-profile murder and missing persons cases. Before he retired in 2024, he was suspended without pay, pending the outcome of the professional standards branch investigation. Breach of trust is an indictable offence and can result in a sentence of up to 14 years.
CBC
26-05-2025
- CBC
Thunder Bay police sergeant's obstruction trial starts with former officer as first witness
Social Sharing Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) Staff Sgt. Michael Dimini pleaded not guilty Monday at his trial for charges of obstruction of justice and breach of trust. Dimini was originally charged in December 2023 following a nearly two-year Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigation. He was originally also charged with two counts of assault — one was dismissed and Dimini was acquitted of the other. The Crown said the breach of trust charge is based on a theory that Dimini went into an apartment on November 24, 2020, without authority to retrieve something stolen from his then father-in-law, and to arrest someone inside with an outstanding warrant. Retired TBPS Constable Kelly Walsh took the stand Monday to describe his recollection of how a call that night to retrieve a stolen TV from a Frederica Street apartment descended into "chaos" when Dimini showed up unannounced. Walsh said he saw a woman, who he would later find out is Cassandra Stachiw, on the stairs of the apartment building carrying a TV. Walsh said in court there was a warrant out for the arrest of Stachiw's partner, Derrick Turner. He added that Turner was known to be linked to the drug trade. Walsh said he and the other officers at the scene spoke to the woman to negotiate the return of the TV, but also tried to figure out if Turner was currently in the apartment. Thunder Bay police, oversight board promise to rebuild trust, as ex-chief faces charges 1 year ago Duration 0:48 Leadership of the Thunder Bay Police Service and its oversight board promises to reform as three current or former members of the service face criminal charges. Stachiw agreed to give them the TV, but didn't allow them into her apartment, Walsh said. Without a warrant or consent of the occupant, Walsh said they weren't legally allowed to enter, so they prepared to leave. Walsh testified that Dimini, who had a higher rank, showed up at that moment to the apartment, and got into an argument with Stachiw. According to 911 calls played in the courtroom, the TV had been stolen from Dimini's then father-in-law. "Chaos ensued," Walsh said. He testified that Dimini went into the apartment without a warrant or lawful authority in order to look for Turner. Out of concern for Dimini's safety, Walsh said he and the three other officers followed the sergeant into the apartment. "We really had no control of the situation when we went in there," Walsh said. Once inside, Walsh said they found Turner hiding in a closet, another person sitting on a couch, and a third repeatedly flushing a toilet in the bathroom in what they believed was an attempt to get rid of illegal drugs. They arrested Turner, Stachiw and one of the other occupants. Walsh said there was yelling and that Turner resisted officers. Witness alleges Dimini's report was 'fabricated' The Crown said the charge of obstruction of justice by making false statements against Dimini is based on the notes and report Dimini wrote to support Stachiw's prosecution. Walsh said after making the arrests, he was afraid they would get in trouble for entering the apartment without a warrant. "When you believe you shouldn't be in there, and now you're wrestling with a guy, you're just fearful you've committed a violation of somebody's rights," he said. Walsh described speaking to Dimini outside the apartment building after officers put the suspects into a police vehicle. "His words were, 'it might be a charter breach, but it's no big deal,'" said Walsh to the court. Dimini visibly reacted to hearing this inside the courtroom, putting his hand to his forehead and audibly swearing. Walsh said his account of events differs from Dimini's. "When I read his report, it was fabricated," he said. The report written by Dimini about the arrest that night was attached to the agreed statement of facts submitted to the court. In it, Dimini said police saw Turner carrying a TV on the building stairs and run into the apartment. The report also said that when officers walked up to the apartment, Stachiw answered the door and was uncooperative. "Police have the authority to enter her residence, as it was in fresh pursuit of Derek Turner," said Dimini in the report. Security footage played in court showed a woman holding a TV in the apartment stairwell. Walsh testified that the woman was Stachiw. She is seen answering the front door of the building, and Walsh enters with the officers. Turner is not seen until later in the video, when he is brought out by police in handcuffs. Cassandra Stachiw is scheduled as the next witness. Derrick Turner is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in an October 2021 murder at another residence on Frederica street, according to court documents.
CBC
26-05-2025
- CBC
Saskatoon pharmacist sentenced to 5 years in prison for drug trafficking
The former owner and operator of a Saskatoon pharmacy pleaded guilty Monday to trafficking drugs, admitting she illegally sold more than 22,000 oxycodone pills. Jenna Ternan, 43, was sentenced to five years in prison for what Justice David Gerecke called an "appalling breach of trust" that "led you to harm many individuals you will never meet." He made the comments while accepting the joint sentencing proposal in Saskatoon Court of King's Bench from the Crown and defence. According to an agreed statement of facts filed in court, police started investigating Ternan after they arrested a man in January 2023 and seized drugs from him that included oxycodone pills and a box with a label for Northumberland Pharmacy, which Ternan owned and operated. The man's cellphone also contained messages between him and Ternan that talked about exchanging drugs for money. Police ultimately determined Ternan sold more than 22,200 pills, valued between $58,000 and $87,400, between September 2022 and January 2023, Crown prosecutor Kirsten Janis said in court. Ternan was arrested in March 2023, along with her common-law partner of eight years, Elmer Hanson. Hanson was also charged, but he died before going to trial. Defence lawyer Will Louison said Ternan "kind of got caught up" in the drug trafficking and it's been hard for her to pinpoint how it started. He described how Ternan's partner, Hanson, struggled with a drug addiction and had a chronic injury that affected his ability to work — and then Hanson became addicted to the opioids he had been prescribed. Ternan supported Hanson financially and employed him at the pharmacy after he could no longer work in construction. Hanson also developed a gambling addiction. While the drug trafficking was partly Hanson's idea, Ternan accepts her role and acknowledges what she was doing was wrong, Louison said. Case law shows the range of sentences for pharmacists who traffic drugs is between three and 14 years, but the longer sentences have involved fentanyl, which is considered a more dangerous drug, the judge noted. Gerecke said the breach of trust is a "very weighty factor," but agreed that five years was an appropriate sentence.
ABC News
22-05-2025
- ABC News
Man jailed for nine years after admitting to drugging, sexually assaulting and secretly filming two people
An ACT Supreme Court judge has described the actions of a Canberra man as "degrading" and "a gross breach of trust" after he admitted to drugging two people until they were unconscious before filming himself sexually assaulting them. WARNING: This story contains content that readers may find distressing. The 29-year-old has been sentenced to more than nine years' jail after he pleaded guilty to several counts of aggravated rape, aggravated assault and capturing intimate images. The crime came to light when an 18-year-old woman, who had been living with him in a tent, discovered footage of herself being raped while unconscious in a hotel room. The victim said the man injected her with drugs beforehand and she had no memory of what happened that night, beyond waking in the morning feeling sore and extremely unwell. Justice Belinda Baker said the video had shown the man raping the woman several times. Later, police discovered a second victim, a man, with whom the offender had previously been living. He told police the offender had admitted to him at the time that he had rendered him unconscious with drugs and then filmed the incident in the bedroom when the pair were hosting some guests. Afterwards the man said the offender suggested he had consented, in an earlier conversation, in what Justice Baker described as an effort to gaslight the man. The 18-year-old female victim also said the offender had suggested something similar to her. "[She was subjected to] a degrading, graphic sexual assault … in a gross breach of trust." When the man was interviewed by police he said he had an audio recording of the woman consenting, and a book recording the contract for their sex life, but these were not produced. Justice Baker noted the man's life was dominated by drug-taking, including cocaine, methamphetamine, GHB and other illicit drugs. She told the court the offender had been diagnosed with ADHD when he was young, but later made a decision not to take it and began using the other drugs. A pre-sentence report revealed he had been diagnosed with a number of mental illnesses including ADHD, borderline personality disorder, PTSD and depression. The report assessed him as having a "well above average risk of reoffending", particularly since he has been diagnosed with somnophilia, which is a sexual attraction to people who are asleep. Justice Baker said the man showed little remorse at the outset, although he wrote to the court saying: "It was never his intention to hurt two people he loved." He had earlier said he didn't understand what he was doing was wrong until he was charged. Justice Baker said while there were grounds to reduce his moral culpability because of his circumstances, including a long battle with homelessness, she also had an obligation to protect the community from sexual violence. The man has been sentenced to nine years and three months in jail, with a non-parole period of six years. With time served the man will be eligible for parole in 2028.
