A Sarnia-Lambton woman already serving two-plus years behind bars for repeatedly stabbing her friend had her sentence extended by a month for another knife-related conviction.
Sarah Bressette was sentenced earlier this month for the May 2, 2020, attack of Crystal Johnson, then 34, around 4 am outside their Kathleen Avenue homes. Johnson was rushed to hospital where she needed emergency surgery while a post was created on a Facebook account associated with Bressette making light of the situation.
Bressette’s indifference at the time was factored into Justice Deborah Austin’s decision earlier this month to impose a sentence of two years and four months, although she took off four months for pre-sentence custody credit. But Bressette, a 24-year-old Kettle and Stony Point First Nation member, was back in a Sarnia courtroom late last week in front of a different judge as she pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to comply with an undertaking by having a weapon .
The incident took place on March 16, 2021, about 10 months after the Kathleen Avenue attack and while Bressette had a release order in place banning her from weapons. Bressette’s grandmother, Donna Brown, called police around 3 am that Tuesday as her granddaughter and Forrest Wolfe were drinking and arguing loudly in her house on the First Nation.
The argument continued after officers arrived.
“Ms. Bressette then headed to the kitchen and obtained a knife. Police then hurried Ms. Brown and Mr. Wolfe out of the residence for their safety as Ms. Bressette approached the group. Ms. Bressette then discarded the knife and continued on to the living room,” Nila Mulpuru, Lambton’s acting Crown attorney, said while reading an agreed statement of facts.
Bressette was arrested and taken to headquarters.
“This is a classic example of a case where there is a whole story behind the story you heard, which we don’t need to get into for today’s purposes, but which Ms. Bressette has acquainted me with,” defense lawyer Ken Marley said to Justice Krista Lynn Leszczynski after the facts were read.
He added there were also a plethora of issues linked to mental-health and substance-use issues and Gladue Principles, the latter a way for judges to consider the unique circumstances and experiences of Indigenous people, according to aboriginal.legalaid.bc.ca.
“And what Justice Austin has hoped to accomplish with her in terms of the sentence that was imposed upon her previously is to address those in a meaningful way while she’s in custody,” Marley said.
At that time Marley had asked for house arrest for the assault causing bodily harm conviction, but Austin said she felt Bressette needed to spend more time in custody for a variety of reasons including to get help for trauma she’d suffered as a child.
“I do hope it creates an opportunity for her to be in a place where she can access some treatment and some stability and some planning for reintegration into the community,” she said.
Bressette at that time apologized for the attack, but during last week’s conviction she declined a chance to address the court.
Both lawyers suggested the 30-day sentence and one year of probation, which includes a no-weapons term, although she already had a separate 10-year weapons ban ordered during her previous sentencing.