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Alleged dog beater pleads not guilty
To all charges: Date for high-profile trial still to be determined
Ashley Degraaf
News Leader Pictorial
D
uncan’s Brandon Harrison pleaded not guilty this morning to charges in connection with the April 21 beating incident of a Boston terrier/French bulldog cross. A lawyer spoke on behalf of Harrison, 26, in Duncan provincial court confirming to Crown the accused will be fighting all charges he’s facing. These include two counts of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm; two counts of criminal harassment; one count of causing an animal to continue to be in distress; and one count of causing unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal. A trial date has not yet been determined, but Harrison’s lawyer Seth A. Cooper of Infinity Law estimated it could span 2 1/2 days. Harrison previously pleaded not guilty in provincial court in May to three separate charges in connection with the beating. But following that plea, an extra charge was stacked against Harrison. Two more witnesses have came forward, leading to this week’s second not-guilty plea. Chris and Leigh Davies were witnesses to the April 21 incident on Cowichan Lake Road involving the pooch they call Terry. “We are both very surprised at Brandon Scott Harrison’s not-guilty plea entered today,” the Davies wrote in a statement following the decision. “However, we are now looking forward to the trial and more importantly, justice for little Terry, the poor abused Boston terrier mix. We sincerely hope that our day in court will bring about a better life for little Terry.” According to the Davies, on April 21 a man pinned the dog by the neck to the road and punched him three times in the head, before throwing the dog into the ditch. The Davies addressed the man and heated words were exchanged, including what Chris said was a nasty threat by the man to his wife when she said she was going to call 9-11. “He said, ‘I’ll f---ing kill you if you dial 9-11,” Davies recalled in a previous article. In the meantime, nearly 24,000 folks signed a petition, ‘Justice for Terry’ supporting maximum sentencing against Harrison. On behalf of petition creator and animal cruelty legislation advocate Charlene Myers, Crofton’s Brandon Meyer handed the signatures to Crown Counsel Dec. 2.
Marvin Antoniuk is led away from the courtroom after being sentenced to 34 months minus time served for shooting his father with an arrow.
Tearful Antoniuk apologizes for shooting dad with arrow Sentencing: Three years minus time served, as booze, drugs, abuse factors in January Maple Bay shooting
Peter W. Rusland
Antoniuk, 49, also received three years probation, with strict conditions. Those strings include no use of alcohol or drugs, no possession of weapons, and no contact with his father Marvin Antoniuk Sr., nor brother Myles. But court heard how Antoniuk’s actions had become intimately linked to those of his father — and Antoniuk’s alcoholism. “Alcohol has become a longstanding issue for Mr. Antoniuk. He also clearly suffered trauma as a child,” Wishart later said of the accused’s lifelong abuse by his father. Still, she said her ruling serves to leash Antoniuk’s violence, ensure public safety, and boost his chances of healing and finally staying straight. Jan. 27 saw the near-tragic end to an
News Leader Pictorial
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arvin Antoniuk sobbed while apologizing to his father before getting two more years in jail for shooting his father in the heart
with an arrow. “I feel terrible and ashamed for what I’ve done,” he said Friday, dabbing away tears to address Duncan court Judge Susan Wishart. Antoniuk’s guilty plea to aggravated assault saw the Cowichan-raised offender receive three years in prison, less the 10 1/2 months he has spent in custody since the Jan. 27 bow shooting at his family’s home on Maple Bay Road.
emotionally charged night that started with watching TV. It swelled into a violent argument. Myles heard yelling, entered the room, saw his wounded dad, then confronted his brother. He gave Antoniuk a wicked beating after the compound-bow arrow pierced their father’s heart. Incredibly, court heard, their dad pulled the projectile from his chest, then tried to stop the fight between his boys as police and paramedics arrived. Antoniuk Sr. spent about nine days in hospital and has recovered, court heard during four hours of arguments by Crown counsel Brad Tomlin, and Antoniuk’s lawyer Jeffrey Arndt. more on page 4 bchonda.com
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Peter W. Rusland
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