Share this Story: Walpole man admitted guilt as soon as police arrived
Walpole man admitted guilt as soon as police arrived
Neil Bowen
A drunken attack on two friends that left one bleeding from the neck got a man jailed for 23 months on Monday in Sarnia court.
John Orlin Tabor, 58, of Walpole Island previously pleaded guilty to the Dec. 31, 2013 aggravated assault and assault with a weapon, but sentencing was delayed until Monday.
The court was told that on Dec. 31, following a prolonged drinking binge, Tabor went to his friend's home. Tabor got angry with his two friends and hit one on the head with a broken bottle and stabbed the other in the neck.
The two men had been bothering him so he pounded them, stated Tabor in a pre-sentence report.
Covered in blood, Tabor went to a nearby home and told the resident he might have killed two guys.
Paramedics at the scene could not control the bleeding from the victim's puncture near his jugular vein, but both victims have since fully covered.
The unprovoked attack was an incredibly dangerous situation, said assistant Crown attorney Nick Cake, who called for a two-year jail sentence.
Tabor's admission of guilt as soon as police arrived warranted a sentence of time already served, which was the equivalent of more than a year, said defence lawyer Kelly Jackson.
The men are his friends and when he realized he had hurt them, it hurt him inside, said Tabor.
Alcohol abuse has been a long-standing problem for Tabor, who also has mental health issues and a physical disability due to a traffic accident.
During the 30 times in his life that Tabor has tried to quit drinking he has completed a residential treatment program, stated a pre-sentence report.
His criminal record included no crimes of violence.
Tabor's personal circumstances and public safety are both sentencing considerations, said Justice Deborah Austin.
The 23-month sentence included Tabor's pre-sentence custody, and will be followed by two year's probation during which he must take substance abuse counselling.
Austin strongly recommended the jail time be served in a facility equipped for substance abuse treatment.
A 10-year weapons ban was imposed, and Tabor must give police a DNA sample.
neil.bowen@sunmedia.ca
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