Dangerous offender hearing underway following Canadian Tire attack

If convicted, Kevin Kohl could be jailed indefinitely

A DANGEROUS OFFENDER hearing is underway for a Niagara man who viciously sexually assaulted a teenage Canadian Tire employee in the washroom of the store while armed with a syringe.

Kevin Kohl pleaded guilty in April 2016 to four charges including sexual assault with a weapon, choking and uttering threats. The Crown is now seeking to have the 42-year-old declared a dangerous offender.

If Kohl is declared a dangerous offender, he could be jailed indefinitely.

The judge could also designate him as a long-term offender. That designation would require him to be supervised for 10 years after finishing any jail sentence imposed by the court.

Kim Gillespie, of Correctional Service Canada, testified in Ontario Court of

Justice in St. Catharines on Tuesday that individuals declared dangerous offenders can apply for parole after serving seven years from the time they were arrested.

The Parole Board of Canada reviews the case to determine if the offender should be granted parole and, if so, under what conditions. If the offender is denied parole, the board will

review the case every two years.

Kohl has been in custody since Sept. 15, 2015, after he approached a 19-year-old employee at a Canadian Tire store in St. Catharines and asked her for directions to the washroom.

He lured the unsuspecting teen inside the washroom and locked the door.

What followed was 23 minutes of horror.

Kohl sexually assaulted the young woman and threatened her with a syringe.

At one point the woman tried to

use her cellphone to call for help. Her phone recorded a brief video of her struggling with Kohl.

Dr. Gary Chaimowitz, a forensic psychiatrist, testified that Kohl is capable of “unpredictable and violent actions” when under the influence of drugs.

The doctor met with the defendant several times and said he was frank about his drug use.

Kohl told the doctor he has limited memory of what happened on the date of the offence. He said he went to the store with the intention of injecting himself with drugs in the washroom.

He did call the victim “courageous” in that she tried to negotiate with him during the attack.

The doctor said the defendant may recall more of the incident than he has admitted to.

When he talked about his past criminal history, Chaimowitz said, Kohl appeared to “sanitize” elements of his role in a previous sexual assault.

The defendant also admitted to killing a pet rabbit.

The hearing continues before Judge Peter Wilkie.