Guilty pleas were entered in Lethbridge Provincial Court on Friday in the case of Denzel Bird, who admitted to a violent sexual assault that left a Lethbridge woman in hospital for months.
“During his police interviews, he was extremely remorseful,” Bird’s lawyer Tonii Roulston said. “He was actually crying throughout the interview when he relayed to police his actions.”
The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault and break-and-enter after attacking a 25-year-old woman as she was walking to work along 6 Avenue South early in the morning last September.
An agreed statement of facts presented by the Crown said the accused hit the woman over the head with a metal pipe before dragging her to a nearby alley, where he sexually assaulted her.
She was found by two men who noticed her hanging halfway out of a garbage can and was quickly taken to Chinook Regional Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Earlier that morning, Bird had broken into a garage where he stole both the pipe and a jacket. He was later seen at the Lethbridge Shelter, where his friend noticed he was covered in blood.
After Bird was arrested, police found the victim’s blood on his shoes and the stolen jacket, along with DNA on the victim’s body. Police also recovered a backpack Bird left in the garage.
The woman was released from hospital earlier this year and continues to recover at home. She has no memory of the attack.
Bird’s other charges, including attempted murder, have been carried over for now. A pre-sentence report as well as a Gladue report have both been ordered.
“They’ll take into account his First Nations heritage and his background and so forth,” Roulston said. “We’ve also ordered a forensic assessment that will assist in determining his risk of recidivism and that will also aid the court in determining what type of sentence and what Mr. Bird’s ability to be rehabilitated is.”
Global News reached out to the victim’s family and a spokesperson said they won’t comment until they’ve had a chance to speak with the Crown.
The case has now been adjourned to Jan. 5, 2018 for a pre-sentence hearing.