Sentencing to continue May 2 for man convicted of sexually assaulting Barrie woman

A Quebec man who was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old Barrie woman in July 2016 will learn his sentence May 2.

Kassidi Coyle, 20, of Barrie took her own life four months after the assault, and before the case went to trial. However, Justice Robert Gattrell admitted the statement Coyle gave detectives after the assault as evidence.

Shawn Roy, who was 38 at the time of the assault, was visiting friends in the area and attended a party at a house where a sober Coyle was asleep upstairs.

In the statement she filed with a detective shortly after the assault took place, Coyle testified that she was awoken by Roy to find her pyjama pants and underwear had been removed. She said that she could feel Roy attempting to penetrate her from behind. The statements were admitted by Gattrell, who said he had no doubt the accused intended to assault Coyle.

Coyle’s statements were found to be truthful and in corroboration with sexual assault forensic evidence (in the form of a rape kit conducted after the assault), ultimately led to Roy’s conviction.

Yesterday, those present in the Barrie courthouse heard victim impact statements from Coyle’s mother, sister and nephew in the first part of the sentencing.

Following the impact statements, Crown attorney Lynn Shirreffs requested a maximum sentence of 18 months in jail and two years probation for Roy, triggering an emotional response from Coyle’s mother, Judi Coyle.

“I didn’t go through all of this to agree to an 18-month sentence,” she yelled out in court.

Coyle’s mother previously won the battle to lift the publication ban on her daughter’s name and the family has continued to push for greater awareness for these types of cases.

Sentencing will continue on May 2. For now, the court is waiting for pre-sentencing reports to be completed, translated and sent from Quebec, where Roy lives.