A Windsor man has been sentenced to two years less a day in jail after stabbing a pregnant woman in downtown Windsor.
Benjamin Carter, 22, had earlier pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and will also be on probation for three years.
In June 2018, an 18-year-old woman hugged Carter outside of a downtown bar on Ouellette Avenue. The woman considered Carter a friend when, for unknown reasons, Carter stabbed the woman in the neck.
The woman was five months pregnant and needed two surgeries as a result.
Court heard Carter suffers from mental health issues.
Justice Lloyd Dean found a jail term was more appropriate because along with the three year probation term, it keeps him under supervision for a longer period of time.
"Being punished when you are ill is problematic," said Justice Dean.
Defence lawyer Ken Marley says it was the right sentence.
"The sentence his honour imposed was a little longer than what I was seeking, a little less than what the crown was seeking, but I think ultimately everyone will agree it was a fit and proper sentence," said Marley.
Marley says Carter belongs in jail, not a prison setting, because the reformatory system has dedicated programming for people who have mental health difficulties.
There wasn't a motive for the attack.
"In this case, I think it wasn't an aggravating factor I think it was part of what helped pursued his honour that there must have been mental health issues at play because the attack was completely inexplicable."
The fetus was not harmed in the stabbing and the woman later delivered her baby.