Dangerous offender hearing begins

The first of eight Crown witnesses to testify in a dangerous offender hearing for a man convicted of a violent sexual assault against an Indigenous woman appeared in an Edmonton court Monday.

Lance David Blanchard, 60, who was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault, kidnapping, unlawful confinement, possession of a weapon and making a death threat in the 2014 attack, could receive an indeterminate prison sentence if designated a dangerous offender.

The victim, a 28-year-old homeless woman who died in 2015 in an unrelated shooting, cannot be named due to a publication ban.

Pushpa Malaviarachchi, a staff psychiatrist at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary, described visiting Blanchard at the special handling unit in 1985 and 1986.

Appearing via a video conference call, Malaviarachchi told Crown prosecutor Monica Sabo his visits were in part prompted by an incident where Blanchard smeared excrement on his cell, urinated in the hallway and threatened staff.

Malaviarachchi told court Blanchard had a personality disorder with anti-social and paranoid traits, but he was not suffering from any type of acute medical psychiatric condition.

Under cross-examination from Blanchard’s lawyer, Tom Engel, Malaviarachchi said Blanchard’s misbehaviour were symptoms of boredom and inactivity. Engel argued Blanchard’s time spent in solitary could have also contributed to his client “acting out.”

The hearing, slated to run for the rest of this week as well as from Feb. 20 to March 16, is the continuation of lengthy legal proceedings involving Blanchard.

Following his 2016 trial, a 28-day hearing was held during the spring in which Blanchard unsuccessfully argued his conviction should be stayed. After that failed, Engel sought a mistrial, an application that was rejected by Justice Eric Macklin.

Blanchard’s criminal record dates back to 1975, when he received three years for raping a mentally challenged girl.

While out on mandatory supervision in 1978, Blanchard forced a 13-year-old girl into a vehicle at knifepoint and threatened to rape her, but released her unharmed.

Also in 1978, Blanchard snatched an 11-year-old boy from the Hotel Macdonald, took him to a secluded area, made him undress, gagged him and attempted to rape him. He then tied him up and repeatedly kicked him.

In 1980, Blanchard took a prison guard hostage and assaulted another guard.

In 1983, while in the Special Handling Unit prison in Quebec, Blanchard beat another inmate to death with a metal bar.

He was given 18 years for manslaughter.