EDMONTON – Paul Vukmanich was sentenced Friday afternoon to 26 months behind bars for a violent incident that left Edmonton police service dog Quanto dead.
The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to six charges, including cruelty to an animal, on Tuesday.
Vukmanich admitted he was high on cocaine and methamphetamine when he stabbed the German Shepherd several times while attempting to run away from police in October.
On Friday afternoon, after the sentencing was delayed to the afternoon, Vukmanich was sentenced to 26 months, which includes 18 months for the death of Quanto.
He was also banned from owning a pet for 25 years.
Vukmanich was given no credit for time served.
Crown and Defence lawyers recommended Vukmanich receive 26 months in jail.
Justice Larry Anderson accepted the joint submission, but reluctantly, indicating he would have preferred a longer sentence.
On Tuesday, the judge said he had concerns with the joint submission, specifically the length of time recommended for the flight from police charge.
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The Crown was also seeking $40,000 in restitution for the Edmonton police – the cost to purchase and train a new service dog.
However, no compensation order was issued in Friday’s sentencing.
Vukmanich was scheduled to appear in court on Friday morning, but the sentencing was delayed because a sheriff wasn’t available to bring the prisoner to the courtroom.
The judge expressed frustration, saying this isn’t the first time this has happened and it’s disappointing because both the Crown and the Defense were ready.
“If a judge is being frustrated because he can’t actually sentence somebody, clearly there has to be either more resources in the system, or a better and more efficient use of the existing resources,” said Wildrose Justice Critic Shayne Saskiw.
In a statement to Global News, a spokesperson for Alberta Justice said:
“We are looking into what caused the problem this morning and will work with our court services people and the judiciary to see what can be done to prevent this from happening in the future.
In order to further enhance the existing levels of safety in Alberta’s courthouses, a comprehensive review of courtroom security is currently being undertaken to identify new security opportunities.
Alberta’s courthouses are safe ̶ and include multiple layers of security. Sheriffs’ courtroom staffing is based upon potential security risks. Sheriffs will always be in attendance when there is a person in custody or an identified security concern. Often sheriffs are not needed, such as in non-contentious and non-dangerous cases, or when it’s just lawyers in the room—and many judges and Justices recognize this.”
The delay also impacted Quanto’s handler, Cst. Matt Williamson, who was at the law courts Friday morning. A colleague told Global News that Williamson may not return Friday afternoon because the process has been difficult and emotional.
READ MORE: Victim impact statements read in court in Quanto’s death case
“It’s completely unacceptable and quite frankly alarming that there aren’t sufficient resources and sheriffs,” said Saskiw. “We know this is a pattern with Justice Minister Dennis.”
“We can’t have a justice system where people aren’t getting sentenced because of a lack of resources,” he added. “A denial of justice is very hard on victims of crime and it leads to an undermining of our existing laws.”
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