Two men have pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges related to a home invasion in which a quadriplegic man and his two caregivers were allegedly bear sprayed.
Joshua Bowser, 36, pleaded guilty to one count each of assault with a weapon and break and enter and committing an indictable offence and Joel Milton Clark , 28, pleaded guilty to break and enter and committing an indictable offence.
A third man, Robert John Hawkins, 56, was sentenced to eight years in prison in May 2013 after he pleaded guilty to break and enter and committing an indictable offence and disguising his face with intent to commit an offence in relation to the Dec. 10, 2012 incident.
That was when the trio forced their way into a Chief Lake area home where a 51-year-old quadriplegic man was living. He was ordinarily confined to his bed and relies completely on his caregivers.
According to the occupants' statements to police, presented during the sentencing hearing for Hawkins, all three were bear sprayed, including the quadriplegic who was laying in bed and was unable to wipe the spray out of his nose and eyes because of his condition.
The glasses he was wearing afforded some protection but the spray still caused respiratory problems because he also suffers from asthma and was living in the rural area because the air is cleaner.
One of the culprits had been hired to build a shed on the man's property and learned the man kept all his medication, debit cards and credit cards, cheque book and cash in a fanny pack.
A recording from a security camera at the home showed the three leaving less than a minute after breaking into the home.
Further video evidence show the three later entering a Hart area convenience store and twice withdrawing $200 from an automatic teller machine.
Sentencing hearings for Bowser and Clark will be held at later dates.
