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The attackers of a man who needed a CTrain station help button to get life-saving medical attention will face a sentencing hearing next February.
Defence counsel Shaun Leochko appeared in Calgary Court of Justice on Wednesday to schedule the hearing for Cornell Bearspaw and Jonathan Roskewich on Feb. 5.
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Leochko, who represents Bearspaw, also appeared as an agent for Roskewich’s lawyer, Fadejimi Orefuja. Neither offender was present in court.
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He told Justice Gord Wong that a lengthy adjournment was warranted because reports have been ordered for both men.
Prosecutor Diana Piper questioned the length of the delay despite the reports, but Leochko explained he offered December dates to assigned Crown Tom Buglas, who wasn’t available then.
Last week Bearspaw pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of assault causing bodily harm, while Roskewich pleaded to aggravated assault in connection with an April 27, 2022, group attack on Calgarian Jaskaran Jhutty.
Buglas told court that Jhutty suffered a critical stab wound to the neck and was able to use the SAIT CTrain station’s help button to summon medical assistance before collapsing on the platform.
Four men had been charged in the attack, but Buglas withdrew allegations against two of those initially accused.
He told Justice Allan Fradsham security video from the station captured a group of five men loitering in a glass shelter for about an hour.
The video recording was able to capture the group heading up a stairway and Jhutty could be seen with his palms together, appearing to plead with the others, the prosecutor said.
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At one point, Roskewich and Bearspaw can be seen leading the victim by the arms, Buglas said.
He said the actual attack wasn’t captured on surveillance video.
“At the end of it, Mr. Jhutty got stabbed in the neck such that he was bleeding heavily.”
Jhutty then sprinted back to the elevator area of the station and “he hits the help button and asks for help.”
Officers arrived soon after and Jhutty was taken to hospital, initially in critical condition, but once he was stitched up suffered no long-lasting effects.
Fradsham ordered reports into the Indigenous backgrounds of both men and an additional psychiatric assessment of Roskewich.
KMartin@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @KMartinCourts
