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Liard man's life filled by violence Laura Busch Northern News Services Published Monday, November 28, 2011
NWT Supreme Court was told last Wednesday about a troubled youth who became an even more troubled adult. Dennis Sassie has multiple convictions for assault and sexual assault, numerous breaches of parole conditions, plus convictions on lesser charges. He has been in trouble with the justice system for all but three of the last 18 years. Sassie, 41, was born and raised in Fort Liard as the second youngest of nine children. Both parents drank excessively and, after his father passed away when he was between 12 and 14, Sassie's mother tended to drink more, according to the Crown. After the death of his father, Sassie lived with an uncle, participated in traditional customs and spent time on the land. School records show Sassie repeated Grade 1 once, Grade 2 twice and did not get past Grade 4. Sassie alleges that he was sexually assaulted as a child by two people who were close to him and told court in October the assault is the cause of his problems with anger and alcohol. Sassie sat quietly in the prisoner's box Wednesday, sometimes leaning forward and listening intently, at other times studying the floor. Crown prosecutor Shannon Smallwood summarized Sassie's history from his first criminal offence at age 18 to his third sexual assault conviction in 2008. The first assault, on April 2, 1988 - Sassie's 18th birthday - began with an argument over a cigarette and ended with Sassie hitting a woman with a two-foot piece of plywood. In 2008, Sassie was convicted of sexual assault against the same victim. Sassie's criminal history includes 11 convictions for violent acts, plus multiple offences for breaching parole conditions, Smallwood said. "When you look at his record of compliance, it's dismal," Smallwood said. During sentencing for his first sexual assault, the judge noted "callous indifference. "I had the distinct impression that the offender regarded the whole trial as highly amusing," he said. Sassie has repeatedly denied responsibility, saying that he doesn't remember the majority of his crimes, usually blaming alcohol. If he takes no responsibility, "how can he be successfully treated and released back into the community?" Smallwood asked the court. The current proceedings, stemming from a sexual assault conviction, are to determine if Sassie should be classified as a "dangerous offender" under the Criminal Code, meaning he could be jailed indefinitely. Smallwood concluded her argument by saying that "there is no reasonable expectation that anything lesser than an indeterminate sentence would adequately protect the public." Defence lawyer Thomas Boyd told the court that Sassie did not fit the profile of a dangerous offender because he has no convictions as a juvenile. Psychiatric evaluations diagnosed Sassie with anti-social personality disorder, which cannot be determined without records from his youth, Boyd said. If Sassie's criminal record and past were enough to classify him as a dangerous offender, then how many other offenders might there be in the NWT who would also fit this distinction, Boyd asked. Boyd argued that Sassie must have a pattern of sexual assault, have caused serious psychological or physical injury to his victims and be likely to re-offend in order to be classified as a dangerous offender. He said there was no pattern in the sexual assaults because there are gaps between the assaults, and the victims' ages ranged from six to 65. Justice Virginia Schuler deferred her decision. Sassie is to be back in court Feb. 13.
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