Two Sarnia brothers’ criminal cases linked to the stabbing of their former roommate has come to an end, with Austin Crowe sentenced to house arrest and Jesse Crowe cleared of his charge after signing a peace bond.
But for Kody Ryan, their ex-roomie who was stabbed twice during a fight about quarantine rules at their shared Royal Crescent home on Sept. 21, 2021, there is no end in sight to his physical and mental pain. Following emergency surgery and a weeks-long stay in hospital, the 28-year-old tradesperson has dealt with depression and anxiety amid his long-lasting injuries, which limit what he’s able to do at work and at home.
“The days and weeks following the incident were incredibly difficult on myself and my daughter,” Ryan wrote in a victim-impact statement. “I was unable to interact with her, play games or even hold her due to the pain and suffering.”
The Crowe brothers initially both were charged that Tuesday night nearly two years ago with aggravated assault, Sarnia police said at the time. The case finally wrapped up Friday with the charge against Jesse Crowe, 27, being dropped after he agreed to sign a peace bond. He was cleared criminally.
But that was contingent on 29-year-old Austin Crowe’s sentencing two weeks ago following his guilty plea to one count of assault causing bodily harm. During his sentencing, Justice Mark Poland told Austin Crowe the incident was serious and endangered Ryan’s life.
“It was only good luck that resulted in Mr. Ryan coming through this, injured as he is, and not dead,” he said.
Lawyers on both sides suggested a two-year conditional sentence, split between house arrest and a curfew, and probation. Poland told the lawyers it’s rare to have a stabbing that causes serious bodily harm wind up with a conditional sentence. He did eventually agree to impose the suggested sentence, although he pointed out if there wasn’t a joint submission Austin Crowe could’ve easily been heading to a jail cell.
Factors in his favor during his sentencing included no prior criminal record and pleading guilty despite there being potential issues if the case went to trial. The former roofer, who suffered a serious spinal cord injury following a three-storey fall several years ago, also felt threatened by comments Ryan made prior to the altercation, the court heard.
An ongoing dispute between Ryan and the Crowe brothers about Ryan’s girlfriend visiting the home after she’d tested positive for COVID-19 finally erupted into physical violence in the backyard. Initially a fist fight, Austin Crowe grabbed a nearby knife and stabbed Ryan twice in the abdomen.
Austin Crowe can’t contact Ryan, who lives elsewhere, for the next three years through the two court orders. He’s also banned from weapons for 10 years. Jesse Crowe’s one-year peace bond also bars him from contacting Ryan or having weapons.
A peace bond is a protection order made by a court where a defendant appears likely to have committed a criminal offence, but there are no reasonable grounds to believe an offense actually has been committed, according to the Department of Justice’s website.
Comments
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.
Join the Conversation