Kamloops man who raped sleeping friend sentenced to 15 months in prison | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Kamloops man who raped sleeping friend sentenced to 15 months in prison

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KAMLOOPS - A Kamloops man convicted of raping his friend while she slept in her home has been sentenced to 15 months behind bars.

John Thomas Edward Grant, born 1973, was found guilty last year of one count of sexual assault against his friend, who cannot be named due to a court-ordered publication ban.

Court heard Grant and the woman had known each other since they were teenagers and the woman testified during trial that Grant's assault against her was a violation of her trust in him.

The assault happened in February 2014. In her Sept. 16 verdict, Supreme Court judge Linda Loo told the court Grant and the woman were at a birthday party on Feb. 23, 2014.

The woman went to her home and a short time later began receiving text messages from Grant who told her she needed to come back to the party and pick him up right away.

She did so and brought Grant back to her home. Loo said the complainant told the court during trial that there was never a romantic connection between she and Grant.

But when they returned to the woman's home, court heard Grant made his first sexual remark to her.

"Mr. Grant kicked off his shoes and said 'I'm going to fuck you tonight'," Loo told the court.

The woman ignored his remark, but Grant began making other "macho" statements. Loo said Grant flexed his muscles and said he was a 'good hockey player'.

The woman told Grant to go sleep in her bedroom and she folded laundry for about 30 minutes after he went to sleep, in hopes he would not be awake when she entered her room.

Court heard that the woman is a heavy sleeper and had been in a deep sleep at the time.

She got into her king-size bed, fully clothed, on the opposite side of Grant and fell asleep. She woke up to Grant with his fingers in her vagina and anus, court heard.

"It was so painful that she believes the pain woke her up," Loo said.

The woman grabbed pyjama bottoms and ran out of the room to sleep on her living room couch. The next time she woke up, Grant was holding her legs down and had his face near her vaginal area. She tried freeing herself, court heard.

"She continued resisting by pushing and twisting herself," Loo said.

The woman was eventually able to get away and ran upstairs, where her daughter lived. She ended up falling asleep on her daughter's couch and woke up less than one hour later. The woman went back downstairs and wasn't able to find Grant.

She went back downstairs to sleep, but woke up a short time later to Grant having sex with her.

The woman went to police and Grant was eventually arrested in June 2015. He was released on bail a short time later and has been out of custody ever since.

Loo told the court that a report put together ahead of Grant's sentencing details the trauma he has faced by his sister dying. The report said since Grant's mother is a residential school survivor, she and her family have never been open to discussing their feelings, which took a toll on Grant after his sister's drowning.

He turned to alcohol and has self-medicated with it.

The report said Grant has little insight into his offence because he was "blacked out" drunk when it took place.

Grant has been banished for life from the Kamloops Indian Reserve, except to get to and from his job. 

Loo sentenced him to 15 months in jail followed by a two-year probation. He will have a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew for those two years.

Grant will not be allowed to possess firearms or prohibited weapons for a period of 10 years and will need to register as a sexual offender for 20 years.

"Mr. Grant, this conviction is pivotal in your life," Loo said. "But I have confidence that you will turn your life around."

– This story was corrected at 3:27 p.m. Monday, March 13, 2017 to remove a personal detail about the complainant in the case.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Ashley Legassic or call 250-319-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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News from © iNFOnews, 2017
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