Domoslai sentenced to prison
Judge convicted Sydney man once accused of trying to hire hitman to kill ex-wife on perjury and arson charges
A Sydney man convicted on charges of counselling arson and perjury was sentenced Monday to a federal prison term.
Supreme Court Justice Gregory Warner ordered Roderick Joseph Domoslai, 53, to complete a two-year jail sentence, followed by two years of probation. The offences occurred between 2007 and 2009 in Sydney.
The conviction was entered in December after a trial during which Warner found Domoslai not guilty on two counts of counselling to commit murder that targeted his ex-wife Dawn MacNeil.
Warner also found Domoslai guilty of obstruction of justice but stayed the charge Monday at the request of the Crown prosecutor Rick Hartlen and defence lawyer Adam Rodgers.
Hartlen had recommended a sentence of 16 to 30 months while Rodgers sought a conditional sentence that would have allowed Domoslai to serve his time in the community under strict conditions.
The charges arose from a bitter marriage breakdown between Domoslai and MacNeil.
In his decision, Warner said there was an underlying tone of domestic violence in all of the charges.
The perjury charge stems from a breach of conditions charge against Domoslai, who was accused of attempting to run his wife’s vehicle off the road. At the time of the offence, Domoslai was ordered to have no contact with MacNeil.
He was found not guilty on the breach charge after a provincial court trial in 2009.
Warner said he did not believe the testimony of the two women who claimed Domoslai was at another location at the time of the offence.
Warner said he was satisfied Domoslai had paid the women to lie and even purchased a round-trip plane ticket to Ottawa for one of the women.
As for the counselling to commit arson, Warner said he accepted the evidence of a key Crown witness, Aaron Maxwell, who testified Domoslai wanted to scare his ex-wife and rid himself of a vehicle he was still paying for but unable to drive because it was awarded to his wife in a settlement agreement.
Warner said Domoslai “committed a lead role in two very serious offences.”
“Counselling perjury strikes at the very heart of our justice system foundation,” he said.
The trial also heard testimony from both Domoslai and MacNeil dealing with contested child-care issues along with allegations of infidelity, manipulation and assault.
Outside the court Monday, Michael MacNeil, the father of Domoslai’s ex-wife, said he was pleased a jail sentence had been imposed.
Rodgers said his client will review the sentence before deciding whether to launch an appeal.
Hartlen said he hopes the sentence sends a message to other people that crimes of perjury pervert the justice system and have far-reaching implications. He said any decision on whether the witnesses who testified in 2009 will face perjury charges now rest with the Cape Breton Regional Police Service.