'How dare you ask for my forgiveness': woman left permanently disfigured by attack

A Winnipeg man has been sentenced to five years in prison for a violent attack that left a Main Street hotel worker permanently disfigured. 

Donald Loupelle, 45, previously pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault.

The 17-minute, June 16, 2016 attack at the McLaren Hotel was captured on security video.

"I am sure it will haunt all of us for awhile," Judge Catherine Carlson said of the video. "This was a vicious assault that went on for an extremely long time." 

• 'Gratuitously cruel': Woman sent to prison for biting off McLaren Hotel employee's ears in attack

Court heard Loupelle and a co-accused, Kayla Fiddler, had attended to the hotel beer vendor around 2 a.m. when Bunn told them the vendor was closed and they would have to leave. 

Loupelle, court heard, blamed Bunn for the death of a family member who had been refused service at the hotel and was later found frozen to death in an alleyway. When Loupelle confronted Bunn, she grabbed a baseball bat and tried to direct them to the exit.

"In the process she fell to the ground, at which time both offenders pounced on her and began a vicious attack on Ms. Bunn," said Crown attorney Mark Kantor.

During the attack, Fiddler bit and chewed off portions of Bunn's ears, while Loupelle beat her about the head and body with the baseball bat.

The attack only ended when a hotel resident called 911 and the two accused ran away. 

While beating her, they told Bunn they were "setting an example for everyone to see," Bunn told court, reading from a prepared victim impact statement.

"Loupelle said they were assaulting me because nobody liked me working at the hotel and that both of them would come back for me if I continued to work there," Bunn said. 

Bunn continues to suffer from post-concussion symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"You both tried to kill me and I can never forgive you for that, never," Bunn said. "You both have ruined my life."

You both tried to kill me and I can never forgive you for that, never.- Laverne Bunn

Bunn rejected a note from Loupelle seeking her forgiveness.

"How dare you ask for my forgiveness," she said. "And why should I when you couldn't forgive me in return. You purposely blamed me for something beyond my control." 

Loupelle sobbed as he apologized for what he did. He said he had little memory of the attack and was "beside myself" when he watched the video.

• Winnipeg hotel worker in violent attack left with pieces of ears bitten off

"In spite of your beliefs of my actions ... I am truly sorry for what I did to you. I am working really hard at changing and I want you to know this will never happen again to anyone, as I will never touch another drop of a drink."

Loupelle received credit for time served, reducing his remaining sentence to 58 months.

Fiddler was previously sentenced to six years in prison for her part in the attack and an unrelated knife assault.