'There will never be a time when it will be safe
to release' Shayne Lund into community,
Ontario judge says
By Shannon Martin, CBC News On Wednesday, Orillia, Ont., resident Shayne Lund was labelled a dangerous offender. (CBC)
An Orillia, Ont., man who pleaded guilty to molesting children as young as two years old has been labelled a dangerous offender and sentenced to prison indefinitely.
Shayne Lund, 25, pleaded guilty to 34 of the 100 charges he initially faced when arrested in 2013.
In approving the dangerous offender application, Justice Joseph Kenkel said Wednesday morning that the Crown proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Lund is a high risk to reoffend.
Shortly after noon, Kenkel sentenced Lund to indefinite incarceration. The sentence will be reviewed by the Parole Board of Canada in four years, as outlined in the Criminal Code.
"There will never be a time when it will be safe to release Mr. Lund into the community," Kenkel said in handing down his sentence in a Barrie courtroom.
Dangerous offender
Earlier Wednesday, Kenkel labelled Lund a dangerous offender. As that finding was read out, Lund's supporters — including his father Mark, a former Ontario Provincial Police officer — started sobbing. Mark Lund has also been charged with obstruction of justice in the case.
Shayne Lund, wearing black-framed glasses and a red-collared dress shirt, appeared to be shaking as the judge's decision was read to the court.
Kenkel said Lund shows a "complete inability to control sexual impulses," and his "conduct resulted in pain and serious harm to others."
Lund's "repetitive behaviour" from his teens to his early twenties was aggressive, Kenkel said, and showed a "complete disregard for others."
Lund displayed a "history of manipulation and deceit" that cast doubt on his prospects for rehabilitation, Kenkel said.
'He's very nervous'
Lund declined to speak in court Wednesday. His lawyer, Eginhart Ehlers, told court that Lund wanted to offer his sincere apologies to the community.
"He's declining to speak because he can't get his thoughts straight. He's very nervous, and virtually unable to focus," said Ehlers.
"He's had a tough time while incarcerated."
Ehlers argued Lund should be sentenced to eight to 10 years.
Lund has no previous criminal convictions and has spent nearly half of his time in pre-trial custody, in segregation.
'Severe impact'
"His 37-month period of time going through this process has opened his eyes to the damage he caused," Ehlers said. "The irreparable damage to his own family, his own life, more importantly to his victims, to young children, the devastation to their lives."
Ehlers told court Lund has had no contact with his family while behind bars, which has had a "severe impact" on him.
Crown prosecutor Indy Kandola called Lund a "rare-breed offender" and is pushing for an indeterminate sentence.
"He lives and breathes to violate children and animals," Kandola said Wednesday, adding Lund is an "incurable pedophile."
Girlfriends plead guilty
Lund pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual assault, as well as charges of bestiality, possessing child pornography and conspiring to administer a noxious substance to a person under 16.
The crimes involved up to 14 children, and occurred in Orillia, Penetanguishene and Waterloo, the Crown told the court.
Shayne Lund, Kathryn Thompson, Avery Taylor
Two of Lund's former girlfriends, Avery Taylor and Kathryn Thompson, pleaded guilty to almost a dozen charges each.
Both were sentenced to jail time and designated long-term offenders.
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