Sentences in beating of homeless man appealed

The Crown has appealed six-month jail terms given to two Calgary men who kicked, beat and urinated on a homeless man as their friends videotaped the attack.

Crown prosecutor Josh Hawkes recently filed papers to appeal the sentences for Andy Hilderman and Matthew Glen Newman, arguing that the crimes warranted harsher punishment.

The men and three friends found a 34-year-old homeless man passed out in an alley in Calgary in July 2003. All of the men, except Hilderman, were high on animal tranquillizers. They had also been drinking and at least Newman had smoked marijuana.

• FROM NOV. 18, 2004: Homeless man criticizes 6-month sentence for his attackers

Newman and Hilderman, who were then 19, attacked Kelly Littlelight with bottles and a metal bar, kicked him and urinated on him.

Their friends videotaped the beating, and laughter can be heard in the background during the assault.

Hilderman and Newman were found guilty of aggravated assault in November by Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Justice Peter Martin.

He called the incident a "cruel and degrading assault" and "a predominantly unprovoked assault committed by four teenagers for their perverse amusement."

Martin sentenced each man to six months in jail, along with other restrictions, but Crown prosecutors during the trial wanted each man sentenced to five years in a federal prison.

Three other men who participated in the assault pleaded guilty and were sentenced to jail terms last year.