A two-day sentencing hearing wrapped up in Williams Lake Friday, Feb. 11 in the case of a violent stabbing attack that occurred in Williams Lake almost six years ago.
Supreme Court Justice Margot Flemming adjourned the hearing to March 7, 2022 in Williams Lake to fix a date for sentencing of the accused, Brent Myles Camille Adolph. Crown is seeking a jail sentence for Adolph, 36. Defense has asked for a suspended sentence to be served outside of prison with a probation order.
Depending on what Justice Flemming decides, there may be an additional hearing, she said.
On Sunday, May 15, 2016, RCMP were called to the scene at 1:52 a.m. at the corner of Broadway Avenue South and Lakeview Crescent, near the Overlander Pub where the victim was violently stabbed multiple times.
Prior to the stabbing, both the offender and the victim had been inside the pub, each with their own family and friends.
The victim was flown out of the community to Kamloops for further life-saving medical treatment and remained in hospital for about six weeks with stab wounds to his chest and neck and a cut throat.
The victim and accused did not know each other prior to the night of the attack. Crown and defense did not agree on what provoked the violent attack as the victim was walking away.
Following the stabbing, Adolph left the scene in a taxi with two other people.
At the time of the crime, Adolph was on court conditions not to consume alcohol or carry a weapon.
It would not be until June 2019, that Adolph was charged with one count of attempted murder related to the stabbing.
A trial was held in Quesnel from Aug. 16 to 31, 2021 and the day after it ended, Adolph pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of aggravated assault.
During the sentencing hearing both Crown and defense agreed it was an unprovoked attack.
Reading out a victim impact statement at the beginning of the sentencing hearing, the victim, now 31, described how his life changed after the attack.
“The effects of this incident were substantial and permanent,” he said, noting he lives his life in fear and has been left with physical and emotional issues that will be with him forever.
“My body is covered with scars and now even my vision has little black dots in it, just so I really can never forget what happened.”
Prior to the stabbing, the victim had been working as a scaffolder.
Due to being stabbed multiple times, including so hard on the side of his temple that it broke a bone, and sustaining a brain injury, he never fully recovered and could not return to that type of work. Following his release from hospital in June 2016, he attended physiotherapy treatments until Sept. 7, 2017.
In her victim impact statement, his mother said there are no words to describe the emotional impact of knowing every stab could have ended her son’s life. She said it has impacted their entire family, noting the victim’s brother found him lying on the road after the stabbing and was trying to stop the bleeding.
“My son fears for his safety and worries he will run into the offender,” she said.
Adolph, who tested positive for COVID-19 at noon on Friday, Feb. 11 listened to the rest of the sentencing hearing from a local hotel room.
His lawyer read a letter penned by Adolph stating he feels remorse for all the pain and trauma he caused the victim and his family, that he is sorry and wants to take responsibility for his actions and understands it was a “severe” crime and no one has the right to assault another person.
“The pain I have caused you physically and emotionally, knowing this has changed your life drastically and how things can never be the same,” he stated, adding he wants to change his life around and move forward positively. “To do that I need to admit that what I did to you was wrong.”
Upon sentencing the judge will also have to consider Adolph’s Aboriginal ancestry and how that has impacted his life.
Read More: Brent Adolph trial on attempted murder begins Aug. 16, 2021 in Williams Lake
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