|
(Updated 11:30
a.m., Dec. 12)
Girl convicted
in knifing incident at Gloucester High School last year
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
A 15-year-old girl
involved in a cafeteria fight at Gloucester High School on Dec. 3 2008 in which
she pulled out a knife and slashed one of her attackers in the face, was found
guilty of assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm in an Ottawa
court on Friday.
According to
evidence heard during the trial, the accused, who was 14 at the time, skipped
class at another school with a friend to visit some friends at Gloucester
High School.
When they were
in the cafeteria an older student who thought that her younger sister had
been insulted by the accused confronted her with another older student.
What started out as a verbal disagreemnent quickly escalated to a shoving
match with hair being pulled and fists being swung.
At one point,
the accused couldn't see because her hair was in her face so she pulled
out a knife from her pocket and started swinging it, slashing her attacker
on the cheek and nicking a second girl on the arm before other students
and staff were able to calm her down.
The victim who
was slashed on the cheek needed required six stiches to close the wound.
During her testimony
the accused claimed that she felt that she was in danger of being seriously
hurt by the older girls and acted in self defence when she pulled out the
knife.
But in handing
down his decision, Judge Jack Nadelle said that there were no "reasonable
or probable grounds" for the accused to believe she would be beaten
to death, or suffer grievous bodily harm.
While admitting
that there is a “fine line" in such situations when one is required
to act in self defence, Judge Nadelle noted that none of the other students
involved in the altercation were armed.
The Crown Attorney
prosecuting the case argued that exact point during the trial and pointed
it out again afterwards.
“This was
a high school fight, no one else had a weapon,” said Robert Wadden,
describing the incident as a “consensual fight" up until the point
the accused pulled out a knife.
(This story
was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local
business partners.)
Return
to top
Return
to Front Page
|
