Shawn Roy was found guilty in February of sexually assaulting Kassidi Coyle.
On Tuesday, he faced the music.
Sadly, Kassidi committed suicide four months after the assault, before Roy's sexual-assault case went to trial.
On Tuesday, multiple members of the Coyle family stood up and spoke directly to Roy at his sentencing hearing about the pain and heartbreak they suffered due to his actions.
Melanie Smith, Kassidi's oldest sister, wore a #JusticeforKassidi T-shirt when she got up to speak first.
“I don't believe I can ever find closure for something so tragic,” she said.
Smith outlined her own struggles with mental health since Kassidi's death, including being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suffering from severe anxiety attacks and having to take two sick leaves from her job at a women's prison due to mental illness.
“Who is going to help us? It's been two years and multiple medications later,” she said. “I cry uncontrollably in my car ... I feel the ache in my heart will never pass.”
Chelsea Coyle, also a sister of Kassidi, got up next.
Her voice filled with emotion, Chelsea started her statement: “Every night I cry for Kassidi.” she said, her voice breaking. “Our family will never be the same. I'm angry, sad and lost.”
She talked about some of her positive memories of her sister.
“Kassidi could make any grey day sunny,” she said. “She was a free, kindred spirit.”
At the end of her statement, she addressed Roy directly.
“Your actions, Shawn Roy, had an impact on my sister. You took her innocence and her brightness.”
Brodie Pollock, 14, is Smith's son and Kassidi's nephew. He also wore a #JusticeforKassidi shirt.
As Kassidi lived with Smith for five years while she was a teenager, Pollock said he saw Kassidi more as a sister than as an aunt.
He started his statement by speaking directly to Roy.
“I watched Kassidi fall apart after being raped by you,” he said, his voice breaking.
“I can thank her for who I am. I got to spend 13 years with one of the best people who ever lived.”
Smith got up and joined him at the podium to console her son so he could get through the remainder of his statement.
“It's hard for me now to feel much joy. Now my family is falling apart without the glue that held us together.”
At that point, he refused to read the rest of his prepared statement as emotion overwhelmed him. However, the entirety of his written statement was included in the evidence to be considered by Justice Robert Gattrell.
Judi Coyle, Kassidi's mother, fought in court to have the publication ban on her daughter's name waived, and her request was granted.
In her victim impact statement, she outlined dealing with a social phobia, a fear of crowds, severe anxiety, diagnosed PTSD with dissociative behaviour, blackouts and nightmares since Kassidi's death. She referenced having been hospitalized twice in late 2017 due to mental illness, including severe depression.
“I have lost my life, including my baby girl,” she said.
She also talked about Kassidi's plans for her life, including going to school for nursing, that how now would never happen.
She then addressed Shawn Roy.
“Do you remember that night? Do you feel any remorse? Are you even capable of any?” she asked.
Roy didn't make eye contact with anyone during any of the victim impact statements. He kept his head down, looking at his lap, with his back to the podium.
After Judi read her statement, Crown attorney Lynn Shirreffs proceeded to provide an overview of the Crown's recommendations with regards to sentencing.
When she indicated that the Crown was requesting an 18-month sentence with two years probation, a wave of cries and screams erupted from the Coyle family.
While Smith started sobbing, repeating “No! Please don't do this!” to the court, Judi spoke up clearly.
“Excuse me, I apologize for interrupting ... but no way did I go through all this for an 18-month sentence!” she yelled.
While the family struggled to comfort each other, Judge Gattrell quickly exited the courtroom to his chambers, while the Coyle family moved to the hallway with Crown attorney Shirreff and Roy exited the courtroom with his family and defence attorney, David Wilcox.
After the parties returned after the break (some members of the Coyle family did not return), Judge Gattrell addressed the court.
“I realize this process is a highly emotional process and difficult for all parties, but this is a court of law. There are procedures that must be followed,” he said.
“If people find this too emotionally upsetting, unfortunately they will have to leave the room.”
The sentencing in this case has been put over until May 2 due to the pre-sentencing report being submitted in French.
Margaret Caron, a bilingual probation officer, addressed the court indicating that it had been sent to the French-language office for an expedited translation. Justice Gattrell, defence attorney Wilcox and Crown attorney Shirreffs all agreed to push the sentencing to the later date to wait for the English version.
Both the Crown and the defence will also present their final recommendations at that time.
In a potentially precedent-setting move, the judge previously ruled that the trial in this case would proceed without the complainant being present to testify or undergo cross-examination, which had previously been uncommon in sexual-assault cases. Instead, the judge ruled that Kassidi's statements to friends, a 911 call and her video statement to police would be accepted as evidence.
Roy had pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a 20-year-old Kassidi Coyle of Barrie in her sleep on July 1, 2016.
The 40-year-old Quebec man, a married father of a toddler, testified in his own defence at the judge-alone hearing.
The assault happened while Kassidi was sleeping over at a friend's house.
Roy was visiting the homeowner who was an old friend from when Roy lived in Barrie before getting married and moving to Quebec.
- with files from Sue Sgambati, Barrie Today
