Dustin Paxton a dangerous offender, Calgary judge rules
Found guilty of aggravated and sexual assault against former business partner and roommate
Dustin Paxton, found guilty in 2012 of aggravated and sexual assault against his former business partner and roommate, is a dangerous offender, a Calgary judge ruled on Thursday.
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Sheilah Martin, the presiding Court of Queen's Bench judge, said the Crown established beyond a reasonable doubt that Paxton meets all the criteria for being declared a dangerous offender.
She sentenced him to an indeterminate prison term.
The victim, who cannot be named because of a publication ban, was emaciated when he was dumped at a Regina hospital in April 2010. He had been starved and badly beaten over a period of 18 months.
The man, whose normal weight was between 200 and 250 pounds, was dropped off at the hospital weighing 87 pounds. He also had several broken bones and a mutilated face.
During the trial, the victim testified he had been beaten by Paxton daily since Halloween night 2008. The pair moved from Winnipeg to Calgary and were living and working together.
Paxton smirked as he sat in the prisoner's box while Martin delivered her decision.
Martin acknowledged that Paxton’s decision to finally take his victim to the hospital might have saved the man's life.
But she said Paxton’s attacks on his victim were brutal, sadistic, unprovoked and involved inhuman conduct.
Martin said she agrees with expert testimony that Paxton has anti-social personality disorder with narcissistic and psychopathic traits.
"Given Paxton's brutal conduct, the court will not gamble with the public's safety,” Martin said.
The victim had said during the trial he didn’t leave because he had suffered brain damage from the beatings and couldn't make rational decisions.
Was it torture?
The man and his family are now lobbying to have the definition of torture expanded.
Currently, only government officials, such as police and military officers, can be charged with the crime.
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"Aggravated assault is not enough. What happened to my son was torture," the victim’s mother told CBC’s The Current last month. "It was sustained. It was over a long period of time and it was ritualized."