10 months in jail for woman who made bomb threats

A Victoria woman who made bogus bomb threats in January and March and harassed two men has been sentenced to 10 months in jail.

Valerie Hawes, who pleaded guilty to public mischief and to two criminal harassment charges, will be able to serve her jail sentence in the community but must attend forensic psychiatric services and look after her mental health, Victoria provincial court Judge Christine Lowe said.

“I can only hope that you can truly understand the impact of your behaviour on, not only the city, emergency services and police with respect to these bomb threats, but also the impact of your behaviour on these other two gentlemen in the community,” said Lowe. “I accept there is a mental health issue, but I also regard your behaviour as really quite manipulative. The impacts were very significant.”

Prosecutor Leslie Baskerville told the court Hawes made a 911 call on Jan. 31 saying there was a bomb at Victoria City Hall, then immediately disconnected the phone. That morning, hundreds of people from Greater Victoria’s Muslim community had gathered at city hall for a vigil commemorating the mass shooting at a mosque in Quebec City.

Twenty-five minutes later, Hawes called back and said the bomb was going to go off very soon. Emergency services were placed on alert, Victoria police closed roads. Investigators quickly traced the 911 call to Hawes, who was downtown on Store Street.

On March 2, in the early afternoon, Hawes called 911 and said a bomb would go off in Centennial Square. This was the day Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was visiting city hall.

“The detective told me the entire security detail was affected,” said Baskerville. “He wasn’t sure if the prime minister knew about it, but his security detail had to make some changes and Victoria police had to investigate.”

Hawes was arrested and it was apparent “mental health issues were at play,” said the prosecutor.

The first harassment charge stemmed from Hawes’ attendance at Victoria’s Older Workers Program from December 2016 to April 2017, said Baskerville.

Hawes had sessions with a manager. Sometimes, she was inebriated. Sometimes, she behaved inappropriately and had to be escorted away. In one case, she gave the manager a USB stick and asked him to print off her resume. But he found she had downloaded all of his photos from his Facebook profile. She was warned about this, but didn’t stop, said Baskerville. Hawes began sending threatening text messages to the manager. She tried to contact him on social media. She tried to contact his girlfriend on Facebook.

Police were called several times when Hawes showed up at his office. When she said she would not abide by a non-contact order, she was arrested and detained under the Mental Health Act.

The second harassment charge involved one of Harry Sadd’s alleged sexual assault victims. Sadd is a former youth badminton coach, facing more than 23 charges in connection with a series of sexual assaults. Hawes has known him for decades, said Baskerville.

Sadd, who is prohibited from contacting any of his alleged victims, had heard a rumour that an alleged victim might be terminally ill. One night, Hawes asked Sadd if she’d heard from the alleged victim. He said he had not. Hawes told Sadd to phone him, but he said he couldn’t because it would breach his bail.

“Miss Hawes said ‘Just give me the number and I will. I’ll phone that number and I’ll hang up.’ ”

That number didn’t work, but Hawes found another number for the alleged victim on Sadd’s desk the next morning.

On June 3, she phoned him several times.

During one call, Hawes said “I might be a friend of yours. Are you involved in the Sheldon Kennedy stuff and the Men’s Trauma Centre?”

Hawes told Sadd the man was still alive and left it at that. The alleged victim felt very uneasy and shaken by these calls, said Baskerville.

A jail sentence is required, she said. Protection of the public is best served by rehabilitating Hawes and helping get her mental health and basic needs met in the community, said Baskerville.

Defence lawyer Richard Schwartz said Hawes was having trouble with her medication when the incidents occurred.

“She has been very cooperative and has expressed remorse. She is in a good mental state now,” he said.

Hawes experienced an early life with significant dysfunction. Her doctor has recommended social support and social housing.

“The offences occurred out of a desire for social contact. She wanted drama because she was not well medicated at the time,” said Schwartz.

Lowe ordered Hawes to write letters of apology to Victoria police and to city hall staff within 30 days. She is not to call 911 unless there is a real emergency.