The tears flowed freely for Brenda Batisse on Thursday as she listened to recounts of her past sexual, emotional and physical abuse during the continuation of her sentencing hearing.
Batisse plead guilty to abduction after stealing a newborn baby girl from the mother’s room at the Sudbury Regional Hospital’,s St. Joseph’s site, on Nov. 1 last year.
The defendant, who was not in custody while awaiting sentencing, sat in the middle of the front bench in a Sudbury courtroom, her aunt’s arm around her shoulders for support.
The defence is seeking a non-custodial sentence of less than two years with three year’s probation, citing that Aboriginal people have different sentencing guidelines.
In his submissions, defence attorney Berk Keaney spoke of the abuse Batisse suffered in her life.
“Through all of this, Brenda has been an outstanding mother to her little girls,” he said.
“Every sentencing is an individual process,” Keaney told the court. “Every sentencing is unique.”
Brenda has attended more than 125 hours of counselling, he added.
“Healing takes time. Healing will take time,” Keaney said. “The hallmark of a decent society is how we treat those that are less fortunate.”
The lawyer said his client's situation, her clean criminal history and her Aboriginal status must be taken into account when sentencing.
Assistant Crown attorney Len Walker had a different view.
“I simply cannot agree with him (Keaney),” Walker said. “Words cannot describe what the mother and father (of the baby) experienced.”
The parents of the abducted baby have changed their lives, said Walker, and the affect on them was devastating and immediate.
“This is a serious crime requiring a serious sentence,” he added.
The Crown is asking for seven years in prison.
At the end of the day, after shedding many tears, Batisse stood up to give her last words to Superior Court Justice Rob Gordon.
“I wanted to apologize, especially to the mother,” Batisse said. “My intentions were never to hurt anybody and I hurt the people that I love the most ... my little girls.
“I know what I did was wrong. In my head, that day I wasn’t me. I just wanted my baby back and I don’t know why I did that,” she said between sobs.
The judge is scheduled to give his decision on sentencing Wednesday morning.
