Teen given three years in prison for stabbing

BY KEITH LACEY
[email protected]

A teenager drifter from southern Ontario who stabbed, seriously injured and then robbed an 85-year-old man out for a walk in Fielding Park in Lively last November was given a three-year penitentiary term Wednesday.

David Jackson, 19, was charged with attempted murder, but pleaded guilty in March to aggravated assault for the senseless violent assault.

Jackson's girlfriend, Larissa Mota, was released in March after spending four months in custody after she and Jackson were arrested on a bus in Espanola headed for western Canada in the hours following the incident.

The 85-year-old victim enjoyed remarkably good health and remained very active until the attack, but remains in pain and discomfort as a result of the stabbing, which resulted in him being hospitalized with life-threatening injuries for six weeks, said assistant Crown attorney Susan Stothart.

Jackson apologized to his victim in court before sentence was passed Wednesday.
Court heard Jackson had no convictions as an adult and only a minor youth court record when this incident took place.

No motivation for the stabbing and robbery were presented during court appearances.

Stothart told the court Jackson stole a car near the Kitchener area and he and Mota planned to travel out west when the car broke down on the Hwy. 17 bypass near Fielding Park in Lively.

An 85-year-old man who took a daily stroll through the park was suddenly confronted by Jackson, who placed his arm around his neck and stabbed him in the stomach and then took off, said Stothart.

The old man was left lying alone in pain when the young man came back several minutes later and put a knife to his throat and demanded money. The elderly gentleman handed over his wallet, which contained about $140 and identification, said Stothart.

A married couple also walking in the park came across the victim, who told him he'd been stabbed and robbed.

The couple were assisting the victim to their vehicle to transport him to hospital, when Jackson came back and offered assistance, which the couple rejected, said Stothart.

After getting to the vehicle, the victim told the couple the young man who offered assistance was the man who stabbed and robbed him, she said.

Upon arrival at hospital, the victim had a lacerated colon and liver and his intestines were "pouring out of his stomach" and doctors had to perform emergency surgery to save his life, she said.

Jackson and Mota offered a group of young men $50 to drive them outside of Sudbury, but were instead transported to the local bus station. They didn't have enough cash to purchase two tickets to Sault Ste. Marie, so they went to a hock shop and sold some of Mota's jewelry, said Stothart.

They boarded a bus, but police in Espanola were given a description, stopped the bus and arrested Mota and Jackson. Both gave police false names before being arrested.

Testing at the Centre for Forensic Sciences confirmed blood found on a pair of jeans Jackson possessed belonged to the 85-year-old victim, said Stothart.

Mota, who is serving a lengthy period of probation, attended Jackson's sentencing hearing Wednesday.