MONCTON – Christine Margaret Wood, who was charged after her son’s body was found in a snowbank six years ago was sentenced to one year in prison followed by two years supervised probation on Friday in Moncton.
Judge Dennis Lordon says he saw no indication of any remorse in Wood and the fact of her continued lying contributed to a high level of culpability in the matter.
The boy’s remains were found on a remote logging road near Monteagle, New Brunswick in April, 2009. The Crown, Stephen Holt, said the people who found Baby Taylor first thought it was an animal but called police when they saw fingers and fingernails.
Wood pleaded guilty to three charges related to the case in August.
She had originally been charged with attempted murder, offering an indignity to human remains and concealing the body of a child.
The attempted murder charge was dropped and replaced with a charge of failing to make provisions for reasonable assistance in childbirth, with the intent that the child shall not live or with intent to conceal the birth of the child.
The child became known as Baby Taylor in the weeks after his body was discovered, named after the road where he was found.
Wood was using hard drugs at the time she got pregnant, but gave conflicting evidence about whether she continued doing them during her pregnancy.
- Cars torched, explosions heard in suspected arson in Montreal neighbourhood
- Gas station clerk stabbed several times during violent attack at Ultramar in Montreal
- Man acquitted in Tina Fontaine murder found dead, says her aunt
- Canadians should expect politicians to support right to bail, Virani’s office says
She gave birth to the boy in a bathtub, underwater, but did not make any provisions when she went into the bathroom to ensure child would live. The Crown said Wood said she checked the baby and it was not living, then she placed it in a garbage bag and put it in trunk of her car.
There is no evidence to prove whether the baby was born alive or not, but he was found to be near or at full term.
Defense lawyer Scott Fowler said Wood, who had previously been hospitalized for psychological issues, had gone through unique challenges as a pregnant woman, and asked for a conditional sentence.
Wood addressed the judge, saying “I would just like to say, your honour, I’m sorry and I would like to thank those who have shown me compassion.”
Wood was subsequently charged with one year in prison with two years of supervised probation to follow.
Comments