Have you, or has someone you know, been charged with aggravated assault?
This is a very serious charge, in which a summary conviction is not available. This means that there is a much higher maximum punishment, and there are no options available other than a jail sentence if found guilty.
What is aggravated assault?
The Canadian Criminal Code defines aggravated assault as:
268 (1) Every one commits an aggravated assault who wounds, maims, disfigures, or endangers the life of the complainant.
In other words, a person would have to seriously injure another person to the point where it falls short of actually causing death. The injuries would have to be severe and detrimental in nature, create difficulty for the other person to defend themselves, and puts their life at risk.
Some examples of Aggravated Assault include:
- hitting or threatening to hit an individual with a weapon or object.
- threatening to kill someone while pointing a gun at the victim.
- assault with the intent to commit another felony crime such as robbery or rape.
- regular assault that resulted in serious physical injury to a person.
What are the penalties for aggravated assault?
The penalties associated with aggravated assault are generally high. Typically, pardons or conditional sentences are not allowed in such cases. Depending on the circumstances and severity, the maximum penalty is a sentence of 14 years. There could also be other conditions attached to the sentence, such as DNA order or a weapons prohibition.
It is imperative that you, or anyone you may know, seeks out experienced legal counsel and call David Karp as soon as possible if charged with aggravated assault, as this charge can have devastating consequences without the right lawyer on your side.
