Calgary apartment caretaker charged with sex offence denied parole in 2013 because of risk to reoffend
Meghan Grant | CBC News | Posted: March 7, 2017 12:15 AM | Last Updated: March 7, 2017
Phillip Skulnec appeared in court on Monday
The Calgary maintenance worker accused of breaking into a woman's apartment with the intent to sexually assault her last week was denied parole in 2013 while serving a sentence for kidnapping and rape because he was deemed a moderate to high risk to reoffend, CBC News has learned.
Phillip Allan Skulnec was also found to be "hostile towards women" and lacking empathy, according to documents obtained from the Parole Board of Canada.
In December 2007, Skulnec was armed with a machete when he followed a young woman to her Edmonton home, where he forced his way in and tied her up.
For hours, Skulnec raped the woman and subjected her to other "demeaning acts."
"You seem to have no idea why you acted as you did: such hostility, such debasement, such harm," reads the document outlining why Skulnec was denied parole, despite the Correctional Service of Canada recommending day parole be granted.
Skulnec had keys to apartment: police
The woman involved in last week's incident had invited Skulnec — who was a maintenance worker at her apartment complex — to go to a pub with some of her friends in February, but went home alone at the end of the night.
She woke up early the next morning to find the maintenance man crouched beside her bed, according to police.
The accused had keys to all the apartments in the complex because of his job.
Skulnec made a brief court appearance on Monday. He remains in custody.
Cocaine gave courage to rape: Skulnec
Skulnec was convicted of kidnapping and sexual assault following the 2007 charges in Edmonton. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison but appealed and a new trial was ordered.
After a second conviction, Skulnec received a nine-year sentence minus five years credit for the time he'd already served.
Fourteen months into that sentence, Skulnec applied for parole but was denied both day and full parole.
At the time of the hearing, Skulnec said cocaine gave him the "courage" to rape his victim. Following a "normal and happy" childhood, Skulnec blamed alcohol and drugs for his criminal behaviour and "hostility toward women."
Skulnec lacked empathy: Board
Skulnec was found to be a moderate to high risk of sexual recidivism.
The parole board also found he had a lack of insight into his risk factors; Skulnec said he shouldn't hang around his old friends but might do so anyway.
Skulnec's victim suffered "physical and emotional trauma" and the parole board found he lacked insight into his crimes.
"You appeared to have memorized the victim impact statement, which is not surprising since you stated you read it every day," reads the document. "This speaking by rote did not give the appearance of your having any empathy."
While serving his sentence at the Bowden Institution, Skulnec completed a program for sex offenders.
Skulnec released in 2014
A year after Skulnec was denied parole, his statutory release date arrived and he was let out of prison.
He was ordered to have no contact with his victim or her family, report all relationships with women to his parole officer and was not allowed to consume drugs or alcohol.
Skulnec was also supposed to seek psychological counselling as directed by his parole officer.
He is due back in a Calgary court next week.