Christopher Parker was convicted of the assault of Ronald Oster in 2020, at Paul’s Motor Inn, which was purchased by the province three years in the past and become a housing facility.
Article content material
The Crown is in search of a seven-year jail sentence for a homeless man who stabbed his pal within the neck at Paul’s Motor Inn three years in the past.
Christopher John Parker, 40, was convicted in Might of the aggravated assault of Ronald Oster on Nov. 13, 2020, on the Douglas Avenue inn. The property had been bought by the province in Might 2020 and transformed to a housing facility with helps for susceptible folks.
Commercial 2
Article content material
Article content material
Proof recounted at Parker’s sentencing listening to Thursday gave an inside take a look at the ability, which is run by the PHS Neighborhood Companies Society.
Crown prosecutor Jeni Gillings advised the court docket that Oster, then 46, lived in suite 278. About six to seven weeks earlier than the assault, Oster had allowed Parker and his girlfriend, Amanda Johnson, to stick with him. The 2 had associates in widespread, mentioned Gillings. Oster allowed the couple to remain as a result of Johnson had extreme pneumonia.
On the time, Oster was a daily marijuana and meth person. In line with Oster, Parker was a heavy fentanyl person, Gillings mentioned.
It was towards the foundations to have in a single day friends and since Oster didn’t wish to lose his room, he advised Parker and Johnson they needed to go away. There was additionally pressure between Oster and Parker due to a drug debt, mentioned Gillings.
On Nov. 11, 2020, Parker threatened Oster by touching a knife to his cheek.
Two days later, Oster advised the 2 once more that they needed to go away. He went out procuring and when he returned round 8:40 p.m., there was nobody within the room.
It was messy and a few objects have been lacking. Oster assumed the 2 had left and brought their belongings, mentioned Gillings.
Dawn
Article content material
Commercial 3
Article content material
Then Oster acquired a textual content from Parker saying Oster owed him $100 for medicine. Oster thought the debt was solely $30. He advised Parker to return by and choose up the cash. He hoped to purchase extra medicine from Parker.
Whereas Oster waited for Parker to reach, a lady named Cassandra knocked on the door. She mentioned she was being chased and wanted a spot to cover, so Oster let her inside.
A short while later, there was one other knock. Oster may hear Parker’s voice and he sounded impatient, mentioned Gillings. However when he opened the door, there was nobody there.
He noticed the door to suite 277 was open so he requested the occupant, Rachel Reid, if somebody had been knocking. She mentioned Parker was there and wished to talk to him.
Oster wished to get Cassandra out of his room, so he requested Reid to stall Parker. He went again inside and heard one other knock on the door.
Rubbish on the ground made it tough to open the door, so Oster turned and bent over to select it up.
“The subsequent factor he knew he felt a chilly metallic object on the again of his neck. He mentioned he felt like he was being electrocuted and he misplaced feeling from his neck downwards,” mentioned Gillings. “Whereas he was on the bottom, Mr. Parker was leaning over him saying he’d had an accident and he was harm and he wouldn’t do that as a result of he was Mr. Oster’s greatest pal.”
Commercial 4
Article content material
Parker was grabbing Oster and making an attempt to tug him up however Oster couldn’t transfer and had issue respiratory, Gillings mentioned. Oster heard Johnson telling Parker to depart.
Workers and paramedics arrived and tried to maintain Oster awake and management his respiratory. He was taken to Victoria Normal Hospital, then because of the severity of his accidents, airlifted to the Backbone Surgical procedure Institute at Vancouver Normal Hospital.
Dr. Brian Kwon handled Oster for a pointy penetrating damage to his spinal twine.
Oster suffered in depth, long-term and debilitating accidents within the assault, together with important motor loss on the appropriate facet of his physique, mentioned Gillings.
“There may be nothing surgical that may be accomplished to assist Mr. Oster,” she mentioned.
He spent a month in Vancouver earlier than returning to hospital in Victoria. He couldn’t stroll for 2 and a half years and had to make use of wheelchair. He’s now in a position to stroll for 20 minutes with a cane.
Oster wrote a prolonged and detailed sufferer affect assertion, documenting how the damage has drastically modified his life and his each day actions.
“My mobility is by far one in every of my main points, which is basically my freedom … This can at all times be the biggest battle of my life from right here on till the day I die, the power to stroll,” he wrote.
Commercial 5
Article content material
Day-to-day chores like tying his shoelaces are actually main duties, he mentioned, including his proper arm and hand are very clumsy.
The previous musician has misplaced his capacity to play guitar, which he studied for greater than 18 years, and might now not do actions he beloved, together with mountaineering, fishing, boating or tenting, he mentioned.
“My physique is at all times sore, each waking second,” wrote Oster.
Parker has a prolonged legal historical past that features 42 convictions for threats, weapons and violence, mentioned Gillings, who known as seven years an acceptable sentence for the unprovoked assault. She famous that Parker was on bail on the time of the offence.
Defence lawyer Neil Brooks, who’s asking for a sentence of two years much less a day, will proceed his submissions Friday.
Justice Jan Brongers has indicated he’ll reserve his resolution.
Bookmark our web site and help our journalism: Don’t miss the information you want to know — add VancouverSun.com and TheProvince.com to your bookmarks and join our newsletters right here.
You may as well help our journalism by turning into a digital subscriber: For simply $14 a month, you may get limitless, ad-lite entry to The Vancouver Solar, The Province, Nationwide Put up and 13 different Canadian information websites. Assist us by subscribing as we speak: The Vancouver Solar | The Province.
Article content material
Feedback
Postmedia is dedicated to sustaining a vigorous however civil discussion board for dialogue and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Feedback might take as much as an hour for moderation earlier than showing on the location. We ask you to maintain your feedback related and respectful. We now have enabled electronic mail notifications—you’ll now obtain an electronic mail if you happen to obtain a reply to your remark, there’s an replace to a remark thread you observe or if a person you observe feedback. Go to our Neighborhood Tips for extra info and particulars on easy methods to modify your electronic mail settings.