High-risk sex offender David Kematch guilty of terrorizing students, assaulting teen
Meghan Grant | CBC News | Posted: August 18, 2016 10:24 PM | Last Updated: August 19, 2016
David Kematch sentenced to two years in a federal prison
A high-risk sex offender who terrorized students and teachers at two schools earlier this year, causing a lock-down, has pleaded guilty to assaulting a 13-year-old boy during the incident and causing a disturbance.
David Kematch, 28, arrived at St. Mark's Elementary School on June 27, appeared to be "anxious and panting" and smelled of alcohol, according to the agreed statement of facts read aloud in court on Thursday afternoon.
He was asked to leave but ran through the school as the staff member yelled for help.
Kematch then ran into a Grade 3 classroom causing teachers to evacuate the room and call 911 before he ran out of the school, into a field where students were playing and tackled a 13-year-old boy.
He then ran towards the adjacent Bob Edwards Middle School, was told to leave by a teacher but instead ran into the school cafeteria.
Kematch was chased out again and eventually tackled junior high teacher Geoff Matthews before police arrived and took over.
"He caused one hell of a disturbance at this school where these kids are entitled to feel safe," said Provincial Court Judge Mike Dinkel.
Dinkel then accepted prosecutor Meagan Blake and defence lawyer Rebecca Snukal's joint submission of a two- year federal sentence.
Though he admitted his role, Kematch was drunk and high at the time and does not remember the incident, said Snukal.
Last year, the CPS warned Calgarians about Kematch's release after he finished serving an eight-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting several women.
He has a history of violent offences, police said at the time in a release, and was being monitored by CPS's High Risk Offender Program.
Kematch has spent nearly his entire adult life in custody and is "extremely institutionalized," said Snukal.
"One could argue he's been in jail his entire life."
Kematch comes from a broken home and spent some of his childhood in foster care where he was sexually abused. Both his parents are residential school survivors.
"His story is horrible, he's got an incredibly sad background," said Dinkel. "It would be nice to somehow break that cycle of being institutionalized but it's not going to happen at this time."
"He's a guy who needs help and I'm hoping he gets some help."