BY KEITH LACEY
A young man who sexually assaulted a young woman while she was asleep 17 months ago has been sentenced to 16 months in jail.
Justice Louise Gauthier told Eion McKeegan, 23, if not for his young age and the fact he?s made considerable progress since getting a full-time job and becoming a father, she likely would have acceded to the Crown?s request McKeegan receive the maximum reformatory sentence of two years less one day.
Gauthier found McKeegan guilty of having non-consensual sexual intercourse with a young woman on the evening
of June 29, 2002.
The trial heard the complainant, whose identity can?t be revealed as ordered by the court, testify she awoke to
find McKeegan having sex with her, while a friend of McKeegan?s was passed out in the same room.
McKeegan was also placed on probation for two years and ordered to provide a DNA sample for a national crime data bank.
As part of his probation, Gauthier ordered him to take sexual assault relapse counselling and any other counselling his probation officer might deem necessary. He was also ordered to abstain from consuming alcohol or non-
prescription drugs during the entire length of his probation.
Assistant Crown attorney Marc Huneault described McKeegan?s actions that night as ?clearly self-motivated?for his own sexual gratification.?
The complainant?s victim impact statement shows she is going to suffer emotionally from this event for many years to come.
?This was an attack on her self-worth and something she will have to deal with for the rest of her life,? Huneault said.
At trial, McKeegan?s explanation for what happened indicates a real lack of insight into how much damage he?s caused, he said.
Defence counsel Charles Conroy asked for a sentence between 12 and 18 months noting McKeegan has made numerous positive changes in his life over the past year. McKeegan came from a ?very dysfunctional background? and this contributed to what happened that night as did alcohol, he said.
The court can?t forget McKeegan has shown there is potential for rehabilitation, said Conroy.
Before sentence was imposed, McKeegan told the court he was ?very sorry for what happened? and how he wants to return to his common-law wife and child and be a contributing member of society once his sentence is
finished.
