Implants saved me: shooting victim

Breast enhancements took brunt of damage from Barretta

CALGARY – A judge says he could not conclusively determine whether a 61-year-old man intended to cause bodily harm to his ex-girlfriend when he shot her with a handgun, an incident in which the bullet passed through both breast implants nearly seven years ago.

Eileen Likness had testified that the implants, which took the brunt of the damage from the bullet from a 9-millimetre Barretta at Okotoks on Jan. 2, 2006, likely saved her life.

In acquitting Fernando (Frank) Chora on Wednesday of assault with a weapon and aggravated assault, Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Craig Jones said even though he was “unable to wholly accept Chora’s testimony regarding his lack of attempt to apply force to Ms. Likness,” the entire evidence leaves him with reasonable doubt in that regard.

Jones, however, convicted Chora of four of the six charges he faced. He was guilty of possessing a restricted loaded weapon, possessing the weapon while prohibited by a court order, as well as breaking into the home of a senior couple, his former landlords near Vulcan, and confining them early the next morning.

“At the end of the day, it’s an accidental shooting,” defence lawyer Adriano Iovinelli said outside court after the lengthy verdict.

Crown prosecutor Britta Kristensen had argued Chora intentionally shot the woman and that he told police he “had lost control of himself.”

Likness testified the bullet went through the skin on her right forearm, went through each breast implant while grazing her chest, then exited through her left arm.

She said the implants likely saved her but were destroyed as a result. The woman said the incident occurred after she and Chora had been driving around the countryside south of Calgary for several hours and she got frustrated and wanted to go back to Calgary. She had stopped on the street to drop him off.

She said Chora exited the car and was some four to five metres away when the shot was fired, but she did not actually see him pull the trigger.

She said he had never threatened her and agreed it could have been accidental.

Chora, originally charged with attempted murder, said he had taken the gun out of a bag on the floor of the vehicle Likness was driving and that it accidentally discharged. He said when the woman fled, he then panicked and drove away. He was later arrested in Lethbridge in possession of the handgun.

Likness testified that she ran to a nearby Boston Pizza to call an ambulance, then was transported by STARS air ambulance to Foothills Hospital. She said that after recovering from her injuries, she had new implants surgically implanted.

The judge ordered a pre-sentence report and psychiatric report with risk assessment to be prepared for sentencing. The case was adjourned to Feb. 8 to set a date for sentencing arguments.