Teen sentenced to 30 months for role in attack on youth workers at Selkirk rehab facility

Oneof threeteens who have pleaded guilty to their roles ina brutal attack on two youth support workers at the Selkirk Behavioural Health Foundation last year was given a30-month sentenceon Wednesday.

The 17-year-old, who can't be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, pleaded guilty to robbery in connection withthe attack that gravely injuredcollege practicum studentJackie Healey and her supervisor on May 29, 2016.

"I don't hate him. I almost feel sorry for him," said Healey, who was in court Wednesday for the sentencing.

Judge Cynthia Devinesentenced the boy to 20 months in jail followed by 10 months of community supervision, taking into account the 344 days he has served in custody to date. He is also banned from possessing any weapons and contactingthevictims or their families.

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In the attack, a youth at the addictions treatment facilitybeat Healeyand her supervisorwith a metal baseball bat and a sock filled with pool balls.

He and the 17-year-oldthen robbedHealeyof her keys and took off in her truck.

Court heard the two teens had conspired with a third teen about breaking out of the centre, but the third teen was not present during the attack. He has pleaded guilty tohelping plan the attack, and will be sentenced in June.

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The other teen present at the attack has pleaded guilty to the violent assault, whichleftHealeywith a fractured skull, bleeding of the brain,complete vision loss in her left eye and distorted vision in her right eye.

The 23-year-old woman also lives with severe emotional trauma and depressionfrom the incident, Crown attorney Lisa Carson said.

"I'm struck by the physical injuries and the psychological injuries," Devine said during Wednesday's sentencing.

Carson read Healey's victim impact statement to the courtWednesday.

"I have cried gallons and gallons of tears over the last year," Healeywrote. "Sometimes I think it would have been easier if they just killed me."

The other victim, a 55-year-old woman, suffered 25 stitches to her head, fractured facial bones and has developed post-traumatic stress disorder, Carson said.

Teen apologizes

Throughout his Wednesday sentencing hearing, the 17-year-oldsat hunched overwith his hands in his face. When the judge offered him the chance to speak, hestood up to apologize to the court and Healey, whowas sitting in the front row.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry," he saidquietly. "For Jackie, she was starting college. I feel bad we had to take it away from her. I feel bad that we took her life away from her."

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He also offered an apology to the other victim, who he said hepreviously had a good relationship with.

The judge told court she considered the young man's "many deficits" in her sentencing.

Court heard the boy has been diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and hassevere cognitive impairments which affect hismemory and ability to reason.

Sense of closure, says Healey

At the age of two,the boy, who was born in northern Manitoba, was placed in the care of Child and Family Services and bounced between foster placements, court heard.

Defence lawyer Tara Walker said many of the teen'sbiologicial relatives, including his grandparents and great-grandparents, are residential school survivors.

"He is in some way a product of all of that," Devine said.

She saidthe legacy of residential schools has translated into increased violence, addictions and higher incarceration rates for many Indigenous people.

Following the hearing, Healey said she left with a sense of closure and compassion for the teen convicted.

"You know, when he stood up and he apologized, that brought tears to my eyes," she said."I wasn't expecting that. I didn't think he was going to apologize at all."

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Healeysaidshe felt the judge's sentence, just shy of the maximum sentence for a youth, was fair.

The two other teens involved will be sentenced at a later date.