A 20-year-old former University of Windsor student is out on bail as he appeals his conviction on a count of sexual assault.
Francis Tweneboah-Koduah was sentenced to 26 months in jail by the trial judge and is ordered to give a DNA sample to be on the sex offender registry for 20 years.
Justice Paul Howard detailed his reasons for the sentence pointing to the impact on the victim, who can't be named due to a ban on publication.
He explained she was 17 years old at the time of the attack on campus in September 2014 and suffered a 1 cm laceration due to blunt force trauma. The judge pointed out she still suffers from emotional wounds, is on anti-depressants and has PTSD like symptoms.
Tweneboah-Koduah was 18 years old at the time of the incident.
He now lives in the Greater Toronto Area, where he relocated after being charged.
Tweneboah-Koduah's lawyer says the appeal is being filed immediately and he's hiring an immigration lawyer to prevent him being removed from Canada.
Patricia Brown says because her client is here on a student visa from Ghana, the law allows immigration officials to remove him from Canada.
She feels the 26-month sentence is unwarranted.
"That was excessive, yes, but his honour gave reasons and again, I don't want to go into too much detail we are appealing," says Brown. "We are reviewing every aspect of the case."
Brown says her client is scared and doesn't feel the conviction is correct.
Assistant Crown Attorney Jennifer Holmes believes the sentence is appropriate and recognizes the offence is a serious and violent crime.