Court martial sends disgraced ex-medic back to jail for 9 months
LONDON A disgraced former London military medic, with past convictions for performing unnecessary breast examinations on female recruits, is going back to prison.
Retired petty officer James Wilks was handed a nine-month sentence Thursday at a court martial at London’s naval station, HMCS Prevost.
A five-member military tribunal found the 57-year-old guilty in February of one count of sexual assault and three counts of breaching public trust for conducting unwarranted breast exams on three females, including a 16-year-old girl, at military recruiting centres in London and Windsor in 2009. He was found not guilty of four other counts of breach of trust.
The court martial heard Thursday how Wilks’s actions left one of his victims — none of whom can be identified under a publication ban — struggling to sleep, work and trust others.
“This was an extremely draining and emotional experience and took me away from work both physically and mentally for weeks to months .... I found myself rather self-destructive and irritated with family and friends who were not aware of my situation,” the woman wrote in her victim impact statement.
Military judge Col. Mario Dutil accepted a joint submission by the prosecution and defence for a nine-month sentence. Wilks’s name will also be added to the national sex offenders’ registry.
A military appeals court last Friday overturned Wilks’ challenge of a 2013 conviction for 10 counts of sexual assault and 15 counts of breaching trust for giving inappropriate breast examinations to females at Ontario military recruiting centres.