A 19-year-old woman will have to wait until next month to hear if she will be going to prison for stabbing a man in New Glasgow earlier this year.
Pictou Provincial Court Judge Del Atwood has reserved his sentencing decision in the case of Rose Bethany Moore – who pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated assault and impaired driving – until Nov. 14.
Crown Attorney Bill Gorman told the court Moore was charged with impaired driving on Jan. 14 after New Glasgow Regional Police noticed her vehicle travelling at a slow rate of speed on Provost Street in the early morning hours.
When the officer approached the vehicle, he saw beer cans on the front passenger side floor and detected a smell of alcohol from Moore. Tests taken about an hour later showed she was driving with a blood/alcohol level that was twice the legal limit.
She was charged and released on the condition that she stay away from alcohol.
On Feb. 5, Police were called to a New Glasgow apartment to investigate a stabbing. When they arrived, they found a young man standing outside the building with a stab wound on the side of his abdomen.
He said he was with Moore and two other friends drinking alcohol and listening to music when Moore left the room and returned with a knife that she held to his throat. Witnesses told police Moore was drinking before she came to the apartment and fell asleep on the couch, but later woke up.
Witnesses said the victim was in a seated position when Moore put the knife to the victim’s throat, but when he stood up, Moore stabbed below the rib cage. He and the two other women in the apartment left the building and Moore locked herself inside of it.
When New Glasgow Regional Police arrived, they noticed Moore trying leave the building through a window after which she was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and breaching a court order.
Gorman said crimes of violence need to be deterred so the Crown recommended a jail sentence of 15 to 24 months for the accused while the defence recommended a period of probation.
Moore had several reports done before the sentencing including a pre-sentence report as well as a Gladue report that addresses her aboriginal heritage.
The Crown described Moore as a non-status aboriginal person who never practiced any of the aboriginal cultural teachings but her grandmother and mother have ties to the Glooscap First Nation in Kings County.
Defence attorney Doug Lloy argued that his client identifies as an aboriginal woman who might be interested in learning more about her heritage.
He said Moore suffers from depression and anxiety and used alcohol to help ease the symptoms.
“She didn’t realize how bad it was,” Lloy said. “Drinking was the only way to fit in.”
