one less sick fuck...
It was justice decades delayed, but Langford resident Wayne Staull has been found guilty of molesting four children during the 1970s and late 1990s. At the time of the assaults, the victims were 11 to 15 years old and lived in Langford's Glen Lake area.
Friends and relatives of the victims and former William Head prison guards filled Western Communities courthouse. “We’re glad it's over,” said one relative. “We hope (Staull) gets what’s coming to him.”
Provincial court Judge Robert Higinbotham found Staull guilty of indecently assaulting a female between August 1975 and 1976; indecently assaulting a male in 1979; indecently assaulting a female in the fall or winter of 1979; and touching a person under the age of 14 for a sexual purpose in 1999.
Provincial court Judge Robert Higinbotham dismissed Staull’s testimony earlier in the day as “disjointed and rambling.” Staull was able to recall 30-year-old details with precision when it supported his denials, Higinbotham said, but was unable to clarify details not in his favour.
“It’s my firm belief the testimony was contrived to convince the court that (Staull) remembered details well,” the judge said. “The testimony does not ring true, it’s artificial and I do not accept his evidence.”
The four victims, on the other hand, tried to recall events honesty and carefully, and “none were shaken on cross examination,” Higinbotham said. The victims’ testimony carried a common thread as to the demeanor of the defendant, he said.
The first victim, K.S., who was 15 at the time, was baby-sitting Staull's two daughters when she was sexually assaulted in 1975. The evening K.S. watched the children,
Staull came to her home three times, said Crown prosecutor Susan Rupertus. Staull testified that K.S. tickled him, however, K.S. stated this never occurred.
“K.S. came down behind me and started tickling me ... and I started to tickle her back," Staull said. "I spun her around, pinned her against the wall with my hip and tickled her."
"So you are saying a 15-year-old who barely knew a 43-year-old started tickling him," Rupertus countered.
Staull returned to the home a third time and asked K.S. to go to the basement alone with him, Rupertus said. There he felt under her shirt and tried to put his tongue in her mouth, Rupertus said. K.S. said that incident stopped when she and her brother were able to push Staull out of the house and lock the door.
Staull denied going in the basement or trying to touch K.S.
The second victim was a 14-year-old boy whom Staull testified had never been inside his home. The victim's statement contradicted that by saying Staull took him into a workshop in the basement and instructed him to touch him sexually in 1979.
The third victim, R.V., 12 at the time, testified she was asked to touch Staull sexually after she went to the house. Staull testified she came over to see the family computer.
"I didn't touch her inappropriately that I know of," Staull said. "She was sitting on my lap so I could show her the computer."
Staull’s lawyer Roger Batchelor questioned the clarity of R.V.'s memories, stating she was wrong on some points, including whether or not Staull was circumcised.
"She is convinced it was her 12-year-old hand on Mr. Staull's penis, circumcised or not," Rupertus countered.
The fourth victim, L.B., was 11 at the time of the molestation in 1999. Staull testified that the girl was helping him wash the family dog when she got soaked. He then blow dried her hair for her.
L.B. testified that she wasn't that wet and neither asked for or needed Staull's help drying off. She told the court Staull touched her breast and pulled down her pants slightly.
During trial summations, Batchelor said in order for Staull to be found guilty, it must be proved he had the intention of touching the children. More testimonies were needed to collaborate the witness statements to ensure memories are not distorted, he said.
There are inconsistencies between court and police statements, Batchelor said, and some memories appear to be "faded and tainted."
"Memory is the kind of thing that can be created out of suggestion," he argued.
Rupertus said collusion between victims wasn’t possible – aside from two of the victims who are brother and sister, the others did not know each other.
All of the victims’ testimonies were consistent and clear, she said. Staull on the other hand gave "bizarre and odd answers" to the simplest questions, Rupertus said.
Convicted pedophile Staull died (December 08,2010), the day before he was to be sentenced in Western Communities Courthouse for molesting the children in the mid-1970s and in 1999.
West Shore RCMP found a 67-year-old man dead in his home in the 900-block of Glenview Place yesterday around 3:30 p.m. after being called by a relative.
Police would not release the deceased’s name but Staull’s defense lawyer Roger Batchelor confirmed his client had passed away and was found by his daughter at his home
Stuall's daughter requested to make a statement to the court but was not allowed.
The man died suddenly from natural causes, said spokesman Cpl. Gerry Sutherland. He said there were no signs of trauma to the body and police have no reason to suspect foul play.
Batchelor said Staull suffered from post traumatic stress disorder from his work as a jailer, depression and heart problems. Batchelor said he was planning to ask Judge Robert Higinbotham to consider Staull’s old age and fragile health condition when making his sentence.
“He met with me the day before [he died] and we were planning his submissions,” Batchelor said. “It came as a big surprise.”
Staull’s trial started in August, but he suffered a stroke and went to hospital after the first day of testimony, which delayed proceedings until Nov. 17.
Summarized from the Times Colonist and Goldstream Gazette.
Friends and relatives of the victims and former William Head prison guards filled Western Communities courthouse. “We’re glad it's over,” said one relative. “We hope (Staull) gets what’s coming to him.”
Provincial court Judge Robert Higinbotham found Staull guilty of indecently assaulting a female between August 1975 and 1976; indecently assaulting a male in 1979; indecently assaulting a female in the fall or winter of 1979; and touching a person under the age of 14 for a sexual purpose in 1999.
Provincial court Judge Robert Higinbotham dismissed Staull’s testimony earlier in the day as “disjointed and rambling.” Staull was able to recall 30-year-old details with precision when it supported his denials, Higinbotham said, but was unable to clarify details not in his favour.
“It’s my firm belief the testimony was contrived to convince the court that (Staull) remembered details well,” the judge said. “The testimony does not ring true, it’s artificial and I do not accept his evidence.”
The four victims, on the other hand, tried to recall events honesty and carefully, and “none were shaken on cross examination,” Higinbotham said. The victims’ testimony carried a common thread as to the demeanor of the defendant, he said.
The first victim, K.S., who was 15 at the time, was baby-sitting Staull's two daughters when she was sexually assaulted in 1975. The evening K.S. watched the children,
Staull came to her home three times, said Crown prosecutor Susan Rupertus. Staull testified that K.S. tickled him, however, K.S. stated this never occurred.
“K.S. came down behind me and started tickling me ... and I started to tickle her back," Staull said. "I spun her around, pinned her against the wall with my hip and tickled her."
"So you are saying a 15-year-old who barely knew a 43-year-old started tickling him," Rupertus countered.
Staull returned to the home a third time and asked K.S. to go to the basement alone with him, Rupertus said. There he felt under her shirt and tried to put his tongue in her mouth, Rupertus said. K.S. said that incident stopped when she and her brother were able to push Staull out of the house and lock the door.
Staull denied going in the basement or trying to touch K.S.
The second victim was a 14-year-old boy whom Staull testified had never been inside his home. The victim's statement contradicted that by saying Staull took him into a workshop in the basement and instructed him to touch him sexually in 1979.
The third victim, R.V., 12 at the time, testified she was asked to touch Staull sexually after she went to the house. Staull testified she came over to see the family computer.
"I didn't touch her inappropriately that I know of," Staull said. "She was sitting on my lap so I could show her the computer."
Staull’s lawyer Roger Batchelor questioned the clarity of R.V.'s memories, stating she was wrong on some points, including whether or not Staull was circumcised.
"She is convinced it was her 12-year-old hand on Mr. Staull's penis, circumcised or not," Rupertus countered.
The fourth victim, L.B., was 11 at the time of the molestation in 1999. Staull testified that the girl was helping him wash the family dog when she got soaked. He then blow dried her hair for her.
L.B. testified that she wasn't that wet and neither asked for or needed Staull's help drying off. She told the court Staull touched her breast and pulled down her pants slightly.
During trial summations, Batchelor said in order for Staull to be found guilty, it must be proved he had the intention of touching the children. More testimonies were needed to collaborate the witness statements to ensure memories are not distorted, he said.
There are inconsistencies between court and police statements, Batchelor said, and some memories appear to be "faded and tainted."
"Memory is the kind of thing that can be created out of suggestion," he argued.
Rupertus said collusion between victims wasn’t possible – aside from two of the victims who are brother and sister, the others did not know each other.
All of the victims’ testimonies were consistent and clear, she said. Staull on the other hand gave "bizarre and odd answers" to the simplest questions, Rupertus said.
Convicted pedophile Staull died (December 08,2010), the day before he was to be sentenced in Western Communities Courthouse for molesting the children in the mid-1970s and in 1999.
West Shore RCMP found a 67-year-old man dead in his home in the 900-block of Glenview Place yesterday around 3:30 p.m. after being called by a relative.
Police would not release the deceased’s name but Staull’s defense lawyer Roger Batchelor confirmed his client had passed away and was found by his daughter at his home
Stuall's daughter requested to make a statement to the court but was not allowed.
The man died suddenly from natural causes, said spokesman Cpl. Gerry Sutherland. He said there were no signs of trauma to the body and police have no reason to suspect foul play.
Batchelor said Staull suffered from post traumatic stress disorder from his work as a jailer, depression and heart problems. Batchelor said he was planning to ask Judge Robert Higinbotham to consider Staull’s old age and fragile health condition when making his sentence.
“He met with me the day before [he died] and we were planning his submissions,” Batchelor said. “It came as a big surprise.”
Staull’s trial started in August, but he suffered a stroke and went to hospital after the first day of testimony, which delayed proceedings until Nov. 17.
Summarized from the Times Colonist and Goldstream Gazette.