Well, so much for house arrest.
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So much for deterrents.
So much for a lousy justice system that seems incapable of getting things right.
Like the suckers who carry a deep feeling in their guts that lame old Lucky Jim is going to win in the 7th race at Belmont, our jurists can be naive to the point of quaint.
And so it was with 18-year-old Phillipe Gagnon of Haileybury.
Gagnon is accused of the monstrous attack on his former girlfriend, Kaylie Smith, in Cobalt last week. According to cops, her temerity for kicking him to the curb was not met with the typical pout.
No, Gagnon allegedly slammed his car into the 16-year-old and then emerged wielding a machete and proceeded to hack at the terrified girl. In the process, he chopped off her left hand and left her arm hanging by a thread.
She is now in stable condition in an Ottawa hospital and has regained consciousness, her family has said.
Gagnon?
CTV Northern News reported that he had been sentenced to house arrest just five days before Kaylie was attacked on Sunday, Nov. 3 around 6 p.m. He had been found guilty on Oct. 29 of first breaking into a home last May 11 and then assaulting a male inside. The news network reported that a mischief charge for breaking his victim’s glasses was dropped.
And so, there he was on Oct. 29 in front of a judge. Gagnon was gently tapped with two 60-day conditional sentences, 18 months probation, a two-year weapons prohibition, and ordered to submit his DNA.
But every cloud has a silver lining, and the “onerous” conditions of his house arrest allowed him to leave home every Sunday between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to “acquire the necessities of life.”
Medical emergencies, work, school, court, church, appointments and treatment or counselling sessions also got the green light.
The judge also ordered Gagnon to undergo counselling for anger management and a runaway booze problem.
All these breaks and yet, still more grief was in the offing when he allegedly assaulted Kaylie as she got off the bus. He was busted not long after the attack.
Gagnon is now charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, weapons possession and breaching his conditional sentence. Of course, breaches are now as common as dirt.
None of the Nov. 3 charges have been tested in court.
Once again, the system has rolled the dice with the public’s safety on their idiotic ideological alter. And they threw snake eyes.
Not only was Kaylie’s hand horrifically severed, but she also endured a 16-hour brain operation. Her recovery will be long and agonizing. No kid should have to go through that.
For now, Gagnon is being kept on ice at the North Bay Jail — and it appears the good folks of Cobalt and Haileybury want him kept there.
On Tuesday, he made a court appearance via video and the matter was adjourned two weeks at the request of his lawyer. CTV said the legal eagle is waiting for disclosure.
Outside the Haileybury courthouse, several dozen people waved signs demanding “Justice for Kaylie.” They want the judge to kibosh bail for Gagnon.
Around 500 km south, a wild shootout outside a recording studio in downtown Toronto saw a police ghost car shot at and more than 100 bullets fired. Cops seized 16 guns and 23 people were arrested.
A young offender with three firearms prohibitions was among those pinched.
So, sadly, the judicial odyssey of Phillipe Gagnon appears destined to be pre-ordained.
Pass the judge the dice.
@HunterTOSun