Skip to content

Victim accepts attacker?s apology

BY KEITH LACEY [email protected] In a rare display of forgiveness, the victim of a vicious beating last fall accepted an apology from the man who attacked him, and shook his hand.
BY KEITH LACEY

In a rare display of forgiveness, the victim of a vicious beating last fall accepted an apology from the man who attacked him, and shook his hand.

Brian Gates, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault last Sept. 3 in Memorial Park.

Justice Robert Del Frate of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice agreed to a joint submission that Gates be sentenced to one year in jail on top of five
months he's already spent in pre-trial custody.

Gates has a long-standing addiction to hard drugs and alcohol.

He and his victim were both drinking when they got into a fight at the downtown park, said assistant Crown attorney Julie Lefebvre.

The victim was walking away believing the fight was over, when Gates attacked him from behind and struck in the face with a barrage of punches. He eventually fell to the ground, and Gates proceeded to kick him with his feet repeatedly, said Lefebvre.

The victim spent two weeks in hospital recovering from his injuries.

Defence counsel John Saftic told the court Gates has a lengthy criminal record, including a couple for previous assaults. However, Gates had not been in any kind of trouble for almost four years before this incident.

Gates is a very intelligent and well-spoken young man when not under the influence, but often gets into trouble when using drugs and alcohol, he said.

Gates has been regularly attending meetings inside the jail to deal with his substance abuse and anger management issues and would like to continue to receive further counseling while completing this sentence, asking he be able to do his time at the Algoma Treatment Centre in Sault Ste. Marie.