Winnipeg Liquor Mart robbery 'shook the city,' court hears at teen's sentencing hearing
Defence wants sentence of no more than 18 months while Crown seeks maximum 3-year sentence
He knocked a Winnipeg Liquor Mart employee unconscious during a robbery, threatened to stab and shoot innocent bystanders, dragged two women on the ground in a parking lot and left his victims with lasting physical and emotional damage.
And if Crown prosecutor David Burland has his way, a 15-year-old boy will get the maximum youth sentence of three years with a portion to be served in the community for his actions during and after the November robbery, which shocked the province and led to enhanced security measures at Liquor Marts being fast-tracked.
"It wasn't a shoplifting gone bad. It was a robbery from the start," Burland said at the teen's sentencing hearing on Tuesday, as he urged provincial court Judge Dale Schille to hand down the maximum punishment.
"This is a crime. There were 10 victims. It shook the city. It was on the news daily when it occurred."
Burland told the court that if the teen, who cannot be named, had a previous criminal record, the Crown would be seeking an adult sentence.
WATCH | Violent attack at Liquor Mart captured by surveillance video:
The teen pleaded guilty on March 20 to several charges, including five counts of robbery, three counts of assault, and one count each of assault causing bodily harm, uttering threats and mischief.
Burland, reading agreed facts in the case, said the Nov. 20 robbery at the Tyndall Market Liquor Mart happened the day after a booze-filled night, during which the 15-year-old was intoxicated and taking pills he thought were Xanax.
The boy and two co-accused — one other youth and a 21-year-old man — then went to the liquor store, where they stole multiple bottles. The other youth carried a knife, concealed his face and yelled at people in the store to not look at him, court heard.
As the 15-year-old was near the till, he kicked a garbage can at a female employee before shoving her and punching her in the head.
The boy then approached employee Randi Chase, who was behind the cash register. He demanded cash from the till and threatened to stab her.
He then approached the young woman, who was standing perfectly still, and punched her once in the face. The punch knocked her unconscious and caused her to have a seizure. She fell to the ground, bleeding from one ear.
Another staffer then yelled at the boy to leave the store.
The teen replied by saying "stop looking or we'll stab you," and swung a punch at the man's face. The staffer grabbed the teen and a scuffle ensued that cut the employee's left eye, fractured his left shoulder blade, tore tissue and left a sprain in his left wrist.
The boy was able to escape with his co-accused and then ran into the Tyndall Market Mall.
Once there, he made eye contact with two people at a travel store, saying "What are you looking at? Do you want to get stabbed?" Burland told the court.
The teen then demanded money and shoved one person before punching an employee in the face, breaking her glasses.
Threatened to shoot 14-year-old
The teen then exited the mall and approached a 14-year-old boy, who was in a locked truck waiting for his mom to return. He told the teen to "get the f--k out of the truck" and threatened to shoot him in the head, while reaching into his backpack and pulling out a chunk of broken glass, which he smashed on the vehicle's window, Burland said.
While in the parking lot, the boy approached two women and demanded their purses. One threw her bag away.
The teen then tried to get it and threatened to stab the women, before a struggle ensued where the women were dragged on the ground.
A man Burland described as an "uncle figure" to the teen happened to be in the parking lot and saw the incident. He was able to restrain the boy until police came.
Burland said the teen admitted to his crimes and said he was intoxicated at the time.
Multiple videos from security cameras, showing the brutal attacks, were played for Schille in court Tuesday.
The Crown prosecutor said the teen, who is from the Little Saskatchewan First Nation, is a member of the Bloods street gang and has used cocaine and Xanax multiple times.
'Haunted' by offence
The teen said he doesn't recall the crimes, but does remember drinking the night before.
"He feels haunted by the offence and fears 'people will look at me as if I'm a monster,'" he said, reading from a statement by the teen.
Two Liquor Mart employees provided victim impact statements to the court.
The employee who grappled with the teen had frequent pain and for many weeks following, struggling with some simple tasks like washing his hair or shovelling snow.
Chase said the harm caused by the attack is both physical and emotional.
"I am emotionally detached from myself and from the people around me," she told court.
"The quality of my relationships has severely declined, primarily because I have become angry and distrustful. I no longer enjoy my passions in life and I have struggled to maintain my educational pursuits."
Chase has dropped out of school, hasn't been able to return to work and is living on a reduced income as she gets worker's compensation benefits.
She said she had multiple seizures following the assault, and the incident derailed her plans to participate in a powerlifting competition this year.
She also noted she hasn't taken the bus since the incident, because she's scared for her safety.
Teen remorseful: defence
The boy's lawyer, Matthew Munce, asked for a sentence of no more than 18 months behind bars, with a period of supervised probation in the community.
"I think it's important to remember that the accused is a 15-year-old with no prior criminal convictions," he told CBC in an email.
He added that while there is no denying the impact of his client's crimes on the victims, the incident has also had an impact on the boy himself.
"The young person is extremely remorseful. Throughout the Crown's sentencing submissions, the accused had their head down and was visibly upset when the Crown described the incident."
The teen has also engaged in programming while in custody and is working to further his education, Munce said.
Schille will consider the details of a Gladue report on the teen, who is Indigenous, in sentencing.
Gladue reports provide the court with background about personal circumstances — for example, a history of substance abuse, poverty, victimization, or experience in residential schools or the child welfare system — to consider in sentencing, and may also suggest alternatives to jail.
The judge is expected to deliver his decision on May 11.
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