A 32-year-old man charged in the death of a woman killed by a stray bullet in Toronto previously served 15 months in jail after stabbing someone in the heart, one episode in a lengthy criminal history.
Court documents show the accused, Damian Hudson, was found guilty of aggravated assault after stabbing a man during a physical altercation in 2018 in Toronto's Scarborough area, leaving the victim with life-altering injuries.
In the court documents, the judge determining sentencing cited the adversity Hudson faced, specifically mentioning that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
"I acknowledge his effort to better himself and grapple with his demons. I believe he has the potential to reform with professional help and family support," Justice Lawrence T. Feldman wrote.
Feldman also said Hudson needed to be held accountable for what happened.
"He must bear responsibility for the consequences of the choice he made in anger, one that almost cost a life," he wrote.
Hudson was charged with second-degree murder this week in the death of 44-year-old Karolina Huebner-Makurat, a mother of two, who was killed while walking in Toronto's east-end neighbourhood of Leslieville earlier this month.
Toronto police have confirmed that Hudson was out on bail when he was arrested for the Leslieville shooting.
Hudson's criminal record dates back more than a decade and includes assaults, robberies, firearms offences and failing to comply with a probation order at least six times previously.
Hudson's latest arrest comes as political leaders across the country continue to discuss bail reform.
Just before Parliament rose for the summer break, a bail reform bill was introduced by Justice Minister David Lametti that would place a reverse onus on serious repeat violent offenders and those facing weapons charges. That means it would be up to the defendants to show the court why they should be released on bail instead of the Crown having to show they shouldn't be.
The issue also came up at this week's premiers' meeting in Winnipeg, where provincial leaders called for "urgent action" from the federal government to reform the bail system, in response to concerns over crime.
"We cannot afford to wait longer for better protection from random violence caused by repeat and dangerous offenders and to better target criminals using guns and other weapons,'' Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said at the conference.
A day before Hudson was arrested in Toronto on Thursday, 27-year-old Jamal Joshua Malik Wheeler was arrested in Edmonton and charged with second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of a father of seven at an LRT station. Edmonton police said Wheeler was out on bail at the time of the "sudden, violent attack."
Earlier this month, the National Police Federation released recommendations to improve Canada's bail system, focusing on proactive policing tasks rather than legislative solutions.
One of the five recommendations from the group representing 20,000 members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police include investing in developing technologies to monitor bail condition compliance.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2023.
Nairah Ahmed, The Canadian Press
