A Windsor judge has handed down the sentence for a man charged in a savage assault and kidnapping that started in west Windsor and ended in Woodstock.
After arriving in court Monday morning more than 30 minutes late and dressed in a biker vest, Thomas Manuel, 43, was given a nine-year sentence after pleading guilty to assault, forcible confinement, kidnapping, uttering threats, choking and assault with a weapon.
Justice Pamela Hebner called the crime shocking, cruel and demeaning.
In July 2016, Manuel punched a woman, dragged her by the hair down the stairs to a basement at a home on Montcalm St in west Windsor, tied her to a post and repeatedly told her he was going to kill her.
He then forced her into a car by putting a butcher knife up her nose and then drove out of town.
At one point, she began coughing and he gave her a pop can full of his urine for her to drink.
She managed to escape by attracting attention after Manuel stopped for gas in Woodstock.
Assistant Crown Walter Costa says although the sentence falls within the range, it is still low given the details of the crime.
"You have to take into consideration we also asked for the delay in the parole eligibility which wasn't granted," he says. "This was a case that I think that it could easily been granted and should have been given the torture aspect."
Costa also wasn't impressed with the way Manuel was dressed to be sentenced.
"It just boggles my mind that an accused person would show up to court wearing the colours of a notorious biker gang and it says something about his cognitive ability or it says something about a total lack of remorse."
He believes if it hadn't been for the victim's heroic efforts in escaping, this could have easily been a murder.
Thomas Manuel in the black jacket leaves Superior Court. January 23, 2018
Defence lawyer Rae-Anne Copat was asking for a sentence of 4 to 5 years.
"I do think it is a little on the high side in comparison to the cases provided but it was a very serious offence. I think the judge gave very thorough reasonings," says Copat.
The assault began because of patio stones.
"It was rage," she says. "We didn't hear facts that supported anything more than unfortunate instantaneous rage."
Manuel will be given 20 months credit for time already served, so he will spend another seven years and four months in prison.