A man who bit a security guard during an early morning altercation at a Prince George seniors home has been sentenced to nearly 17 months in jail and two years probation.
Lloyd William Bruce Johnson, 22, received the term on Tuesday after pleading guilty to counts of aggravated assault from an Oct. 24, 2010 incident and assaulting a peace officer and breach of an undertaking from a Dec. 12, 2010 incident.
Prior to sentencing at the Prince George courthouse, the court heard that on Oct. 24, 2010 a heavily intoxicated Johnson approached the guard while he was having a cigarette in front of the home and asked he be let inside.
The guard refused and went inside. Johnson started banging on the door so the guard opened the door to tell Johnson the police would be called if he did not leave. Johnson continued to yell, tried to push through the guard and a scuffle ensued.
When the guard tried to call RCMP on his cellphone, Johnson ran at him with all his force, tackled the guard to the ground and while the two were wrestling, he bit down on his right hand and finger and would not let go until punched repeatedly in the head.
Johnson then bit down on the guard's other arm and was punched several more times and ultimately put into a headlock and then into an armlock before he was subdued, subsequently arrested and released on a recognizance.
But on Dec. 12, 2010, police were called to an apartment on East Central Street where two men told RCMP Johnson had drank too much, started to argue and then began to bite them uncontrollably before he passed out.
The two eventually declined to pursue charges but in the process of reviving Johnson, one of the RCMP members received a kick from Johnson and so he was charged with assaulting a peace officer.
It was also noted that the security guard's finger was broken, became infected and required surgery to remove a significant amount of broken bone and tissue. As a result, he has lost some use of his finger, has limited movement and strength in his hand and it has increased sensitivity to the cold.
As well, Johnson refused to provide a blood sample to test for communicable diseases, forcing
the guard to take a regimen of drugs and continue to be tested as a precautionary measure.
Crown prosecution had argued for 16 months in jail for the attack on the security guard, concurrent terms of three months for the assault on the police officer and 30 days for the breach of recognizance plus 18 months probation.
His defense counsel asked for three years probation with no jail time but with a condition he get treatment and noted Johnson has no previous criminal record and not only has he acknowledged he has a drinking problem but his parents have also abstained since the incident.
However, Provincial Court Judge Dan Weatherly called the assault "vicious and unprovoked" and added it could have turned out even worse if Johnson had gotten the upper hand on the security guard and gained entry into the seniors home.
He sentenced Johnson to consecutive terms of 16 months for aggravated assault on the security guard, 21 days for the assault on the RCMP member and seven days for the breach and to attend a program for alcohol abuse during his two-year probation.
"Mr. Johnson, in my view, you should never drink again," Weatherly said. "Your life, I'm sure will go much, much better for you and those around you if you don't drink again. I worry about people that you may come in contact with when you're drinking."
