Criminal Case Studies
R v. Shingabis (2010)
Content WARNING: THIS CASE ANALYSIS CONTAINS SENSITIVE INFORMATION THAT CAN BE TRIGGERING AND DISTURBING TO READERS AND/OR SURVIVORS OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE. THIS CASE INCLUDES CONTENT ON THE TOPICS OF: ABUSE AND PHYSICAL VIOLENCE; INDIGNITY TO HUMAN REMAINS; SEXISM AND MISOGYNY; AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE.
| CASE NAME | R v. Shingabis (2010) |
| DATE OF INCIDENT | January 22, 2009 |
| LOCATION OF INCIDENT | Private residence, Thunder Bay, Ontario |
| TRIAL LOCATION | Thunder Bay Courthouse, Thunder Bay, Ontario |
| TRIAL DATES | Preliminary Hearing: November 25-28, 2009 Initial Hearing: February 12, 2010 |
| JUDGE | Justice E.W. Stach (sentencing) |
| VERDICT DATE | March 22, 2010 |
| VERDICT | Shingabis was found guilty of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 14 years; an additional 5 years was given for indignity to human remains |
| CASE SUMMARY | On January 22, 2009, Cybil Dawn Stoney was found dead in her bedroom. Police searched the house after her mother reported not hearing from Stoney in two weeks. Edward Shingabis turned himself in to the police on January 23, 2010. Shingabis was taken into custody and charged with assault causing bodily harm, later upgraded to second-degree murder. He was found guilty of his second-degree murder charge, breach of probation and interfering with human remains. Shingabis had a documented history of violence and had served time for violence against Stoney. |
| READ THE FULL CASE SUMMARY HERE. | |
Perpetrator: Joseph Lavoie (2010)
Content warning: This case analysis contains sensitive information that can be triggering and disturbing to readers and/or survivors of gender-based violence. This case includes content on the topics of: murder – femicide; suicide and self harm; use of firearms/guns; physical violence; abuse; sexism; and misogyny.
| CASE NAME | Perpetrator: Joseph Lavoie |
| DATE OF INCIDENT | December 12, 2010 |
| LOCATION OF INCIDENT | Private residence, Murillo, Ontario |
| TRIAL | This high-risk task did not proceed to trial, as the incident was a murder-suicide. |
| CASE SUMMARY | On December 12, 2010, Joseph Lavoie shot and killed his wife Antoinette Lavoie in their Murillo home. Both were found dead in their home and the case is considered a murder-suicide. The firearm (gun) used was unregistered. Joseph Lavoie was previously charged with assaulting Antoinette and a no-contact order was in place; however, he contacted his wife and brought her back to their home in early December 2010. Court workers were made aware that he was in breach of a no contact order, but opted to amend the no contact order, ostensibly because thought they had "reconciled." No one spoke to Antoinette Lavoie privately. |
| READ THE FULL CASE SUMMARY HERE | |
R v. Donovan and Foucher (2014)
Content warning: This criminal court case contains sensitive information that can be triggering and disturbing to readers and/or survivors of gender-based violence. This case includes content on the topics of: sexual assault; sexism and misogyny; vulgar language; and slurs .
| CASE NAME | R v. Donovan and Foucher (2014) |
| DATE OF INCIDENT | February 2, 2014 |
| LOCATION OF INCIDENT | Hotel, Thunder Bay, Ontario |
| TRIAL LOCATION | Thunder Bay Courthouse, Thunder Bay, Ontario |
| TRIAL DATES | February 5-9, 2018, February 12-16, 2018 (10 days total) |
| JUDGE | Justice Chantal Brochu |
| VERDICT DATE | June 25, 2018 |
| VERDICT | Donovan and Foucher were acquitted of all sexual assault charges; Crown did not appeal the decision. |
| CASE SUMMARY | This is a high-profile sexual assault case involving two former University of Ottawa hockey players. The assault occurred in Thunder Bay, Ontario in February 2014 against a 21-year old woman whose identity is protected by a publication ban. The sexual assault was reported by a third-party and a police investigation began in March 2014. The two accused, Guillaume Donovan and David Foucher, were each charged with a count of sexual assault in August 2014. |
| READ THE FULL CASE SUMMARY HERE. | |
R v. Bushby (2020)
Content warning: This criminal court case contains sensitive information that can be triggering and disturbing to readers and/or survivors of gender-based violence. This case includes content on the topics of: femicide; physical violence; and racism and misogyny .
| CASE NAME | Bushby (2020) |
| DATE OF INCIDENT | January 29, 2017 |
| LOCATION OF INCIDENT | Public street, Thunder Bay, Ontario |
| TRIAL LOCATION | Courthouse Hotel, Thunder Bay, Ontario |
| TRIAL DATES | November 1-5, 2020 (5 days total) |
| JUDGE | Justice Helen Pierce |
| VERDICT DATE | |
| VERDICT | Justice Pierce found Bushby guilty on the charges of manslaughter. |
| CASE SUMMARY | This is a high-profile case involving 18-year old Brayden Bushby, who assaulted 34-year old Barbara Kentner by throwing a trailer hitch at her from a moving vehicle on January 29, 2017. Kentner died of her injuries on July 4, 2017 and Bushby surrendered himself to police in November 2017. Bushby was initially charged with aggravated assault, which was later upgraded to second-degree murder. The criminal trial was delayed for over two years. During these delays, the charges were downgraded from second-degree murder to manslaughter and aggravated assault; because of these changes and the COVID-19 pandemic, the trial did not have a jury and became judge-only. There was public outcry and community organizing in protest of the changes in charges, led by Indigenous grassroots activists and organizers. Bushby threw a trailer hitch at two Indigenous women pedestrians from a moving vehicle. Because of the context of racism in Thunder Bay and the often-reported experience of white males throwing objects at Indigenous people from vehicles, many people felt this case should have been prosecuted as a hate crime. |
| READ THE FULL CASE SUMMARY HERE. | |
