A Calgary judge has determined that a convicted torturer is a dangerous offender and handed him an indeterminate prison sentence on Thursday morning.
Dustin Paxton, 33, was convicted in February 2012 of aggravated assault and sexual assault for his brutal acts against a man who was dumped, near death, at a Regina hospital in 2010.
During his trial the judge called the list of injuries he inflicted on the victim “grotesque” and found him guilty on four of the five charges that were laid against him.
The court can hand down the designation if it is satisfied that the offender constitutes a threat to the life, safety or physical or mental well-being of the public.
On Thursday, Justice Sheila Martin said Paxton is a high risk to reoffend and declared him a dangerous offender.
“We always maintained that protection of the public was paramount, that there was a high risk and we are pleased with the result,” said Crown Prosecutor Joe Mercier. “And she said we don’t want to gamble with the public, with the safety of the public, and I think she addressed that pretty well.”
Mercier says the case has been before the courts for three years and a lot of evidence was presented over that time.
“Well it certainly was, probably, in my experience one of the most unique cases I have ever been involved in, as a police officer and as a prosecutor, I’ve never been involved in one like this. This had a lot of unique aspects to it and it was a difficult case,” said Mercier.
The dangerous offender designation means, Paxton will face an indeterminate prison sentence.
(With files from Bill Marks)
