To realize that Ryker Daponte-Michaud needed medical treatment for serious burns covering 25-per cent of his body, a judge told a London courtroom Thursday it didn’t take advanced parenting skills or sophisticated knowledge.
It simply “called for the exercise of basic humanity.”
Justice Renee Pomerance gave Amanda Dumont, the child’s mother, and her ex-boyfriend, Scott Bakker, nine years each in jail after they were found guilty last month of criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the neccessaries of life, bringing the lengthy and emotional trial to an end.
“The idea that a parent or guardian would completely ignore a healthy 20-month-old child is hard to understand,” she said. But to ignore a child who had severe injuries, “verges on staggering.”
Pomerance reviewed Dumont and Bakker’s activities in the days leading up to Ryker’s death on May 21, 2014: they went shopping, they sold stolen jewellery, they hid Ryker’s burns from family members, and they lied about bringing him for medical treatment.
“This was not a momentary lapse in care. Ryker suffered for three days… very little was done to save his life.”
In fact, the couple coerced each other and “spun a web of deceit to make sure no one else would intervene to save Ryker’s life.”
Characterizations of selfishness were described over and over in the judge’s decisions for each individual. In her pre-sentence report, Dumont regaled an interviewer with her own ailments, hardships, and appointments, before mentioning the impact of Ryker’s death on her remaining children. In the days before Ryker died, Pomerance noted how Dumont had been resourceful when she needed help changing slashed car tires, or finding her lost dog.
But she didn’t get help for Ryker.
“The inescapable inference is that Ryker was not as important,” Pomerance said.
She also didn’t see Bakker’s diagnosed mental health issues as an excuse of his criminal activities, or as something that stood in his way of calling a doctor.
“There’s no indication he was unable to understand the gravity of the situation,” she said.
Pomerance also noted the toll on the Dumont’s three daughters, who are now 8, 9, and 13 years old.
“Each of them chronicled the devastating impact of Ryker’s death,” she said.
“They are haunted by seeing his lifeless body on the floor… these children are left to carry a heavy emotional burden.”
Before Ryker’s body was discovered, both Dumont and Bakker were about to leave on a trip to Walmart — leaving the eldest daughter alone in the house with Ryker. But the daughter ran out of the house and said she was scared of being left alone in case he needed his diaper changed. She didn’t want to see the burns.
Dumont wept to her lawyer after Pomerance left the courtroom. She still blames Bakker for what happened, her defence lawyer Ken Marley confirmed outside of the courthouse.
“If one of her honour’s purposes was imposing a sentence that would not be crushing on the offenders, I think she failed,” he said.
Bakker’s defence lawyer, Gord Cudmore, however, believes the sentencing was “well-reasoned.” He told reporters that Bakker feels he and Dumont share the blame for Ryker’s death.
“In hindsight, he realizes he didn’t do the right thing and he’s regretful of that.”
Crown attorney Elizabeth Maguire gave a statement, saying the case has been long and very difficult.
“We had a lot of support though, through the whole time. The decision in our minds was a just decision, now everybody involved can just get on with their lives.”
When taking time already served into consideration, Dumont will be behind bars for another 6.68 years, and Bakker will be jailed for 5.26 years.