Image Credit: Global Okanagan
June 23, 2014 - 12:50 PM
PENTICTON - The mother of a sexual assault victim gave a brief testimony today saying her daughter would “shut down” if she was forced to testify in a room with the accused, David Wesley Bobbitt.
Bobbitt’s dangerous offender hearing began this morning in Penticton Supreme Court with the offender appearing in person. Bobbitt pleaded guilty last year to seven charges including attempted murder, sexual assault and confinement.
The charges were made in connection to the beating and sexual assault of a 22-year-old Penticton woman in July 2011. She and her child were allegedly confined at what-was-then Dave’s Second Hand Store on Ellis Street, which Bobbitt operated. The woman and her child were also allegedly confined for nearly 10 hours.
Today, Crown counsel made an application to Justice Peter Rogers for the victim to give her testimony to court via closed circuit TV, because she would not be able to handle being in the same room as Bobbitt.
The victim’s mother took the witness stand and told the court her daughter was traumatized from the attack and needed someone with her 24 hours a day for months afterward. Her daughter was afraid every time she turned around that someone would come up behind her. She was paranoid something was going to happen to her again, and often had to be brought back down to reality.
She knew, realistically, Bobbitt couldn’t get to her, and told her mother, “‘It’s not like he’s going to get out of jail and ring my doorbell.”
Rogers said it was “reasonable” to allow the victim to give her evidence via closed circuit TV.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Meaghan Archer at marcher@infotelnews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014