A man who slashed and stabbed two other men, nearly killing them in 2010, will not have his jail sentence reduced.
A jury found Anthony Andrew Larose guilty in 2011 of two counts each of aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. He was sentenced by Justice Neill Brown to seven years in jail (minus 14 months he'd already spent in pre-trial custody).
He appealed the sentence and wanted it reduced, arguing that the prison term was lengthier than the average range for such offences.
Three B.C. Appeal Court justices disagreed, upholding his original sentence.
In a decision earlier this month, posted online this week, B.C. Court of Appeal Madam Justice Mary Saunders deemed the seven-year prison term fit punishment.
She said there is no "sharp line" between aggravated assault cases and circumstances vary. She called the circumstances in Larose's case grave.
"A weapon was used repeatedly, causing life-threatening injury to two persons, after they had disengaged from him," Saunders said in her Oct. 10 decision. "Mr. Larose has a history of violent offences, and, as reflected in the judge’s reasons, a disturbing lack of empathy for his victims and lack of self-control when angered."
On April 3, 2010, Larose had attended a party to celebrate his release from prison 18 days earlier (for a separate offence). He and a young woman were waiting at a bus stop near Fraser Highway and 156 Street when the pair argued and Larose, who was 20 at the time, threw a rock through the glass panel of the bus shelter.
Saul Marshall and Chris Hanna were across the street and heard glass breaking and loud noises. Larose, Marshall and Hanna had all been drinking.
Hanna crossed the street and confronted Larose. Marshall joined them, and when Hanna and Marshall began to walk away, Larose followed. The men started arguing again and Hanna punched Larose. While on the ground, Larose pulled a 20-centimetre knife out and said "I've got this babe," to the woman he was with.
Marshall rushed toward him to remove the knife from him and it flew into the roadway. Larose retrieved it and ran toward the two men, slashing Hanna across the right side of his face and stabbing him three times in the chest, stomach and diaphragm.
Larose then turned to Marshall, demanding his wallet, but Marshall resisted. Larose turned back to Hanna and when Marshall went to help his friend, Larose slit Marshall's neck from below his ear to the midline of his throat, causing extreme blood loss.
Both men spent several days in hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Larose was on probation at the time and prohibited from possessing any weapons.
With Justices Peter Willcock and Risa Levine in agreement, Saunders said the trial judge was open to separate Larose from the community for a significant period of time, during which he could take advantage of programs to address his violence and anger problems.
Larose also tried to appeal his conviction last year, on the basis that the judge did not suggest the jury consider self-defence an option. That appeal was also denied.