Morty White, 72, drove into the parking lot of the Scotiabank in the Canadian capital city of Ottawa after having breakfast with friends. The elderly guy entered the business to use the ATM before returning to his white Subaru to finish his day. Sadly, he was the ideal victim for a very heinous violent act.
White said that he was attacked without provocation by two young males who almost killed him. Unbelievably, he managed to remain aware long enough to obtain a decent glimpse at his assailants. After he exited the bank, he reported to the authorities that two tall, slim guys of minority ancestry were standing on the sidewalk. Before administering the first punch to his face, he remembered that they spoke to him in what was apparently bad English.
White was brought to the hospital with a shattered pelvis, broken and bruised ribs, a broken nose, black eyes, and head bruises and edema. Unbelievably, he was not robbed; therefore, the assault seems to be random and unprovoked.
Due to camera video, authorities were able to trace down and arrest Yusuf Hussein, 18, and Abdirahman Sahal, 18, for the horrific assault. Authorities immediately connected the duo to a second assault on 57-year-old Julian Wilson, who was strolling on the sidewalk when one of the guys randomly approached him and hit him in the face.
Finally, the two guys were convicted of severe assault. Yet, the lockdown would not last very long. Incredibly, Ontario Court Judge Peter Doody ruled that Hussein and Sahal would each spend less than two years in prison after hearing the defense attorney’s assertion that one of the men “suffered” excessively upon his detention.
Judge Doody lowered the men’s sentences after recognizing that Sahal’s asthma might worsen during his imprisonment and that he had suffered more mental stress than detainees without chronic diseases. Obviously, even without the unusual arrangement, the men’s penalties were remarkably mild. The initial 3-year sentence for Sahal was reduced by more than 14 months, including credit for time already served. A 30-month sentence was lowered to about 23 months in prison for Hussein.
Sahal showed no remorse for his victims throughout the whole of his trial. But, Doody noted that he considered Hussein’s mental health issues when determining the men’s sentences.
After the incident, both White and Wilson told the court that they suffer from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. White is doubtful whether he will ever recover completely and continues to use a wheelchair.
The judge was eager to guarantee that the assailants “suffered” no more consequences for their acts. Nonetheless, their innocent victims continue to suffer and must now watch as their perpetrators get the compassion and charity they were denied.
Mental and physical problems are alarmingly being exploited as excuses to avoid punishment. Meanwhile, the true victims must not only deal with the consequences of the crimes perpetrated against them, but also with the terror and agony of realizing that their assailants would be back on the streets in no time.
