Man receives life sentence for attempted murder

A man who stabbed his former fiancee 27 times has been sentenced to life in prison for attempted murder

he sentence was recommended jointly by the Crown and defence, halting the Crown’s earlier application to have Joseph Paproski, 29, declared a dangerous offender.

Paproski’s fiancee had broken up with him when he went to her Saskatoon residence on Aug. 30, 2010, and argued with her while she washed dishes, Crown prosecutor Buffy Rodgers said.

Paproski used a kitchen knife to stab the woman repeatedly, including cutting her jugular vein and liver, before cutting the phone line and locking the door’s deadbolt as he left.

The woman managed to call for help on her cellphone.

Medical records show she lost three litres of blood from internal bleeding alone.

Paproski also later called 911 and turned himself in. He admitted he had intended to kill the woman.

Paproski has been diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, low intelligence, anti-social personality disorder and pedophilia, his extensive psychiatric history shows.

When he was adopted at five months old he was malnourished and had cigarette burns on his body.

By age five, his adoptive parents had taken him to see psychologists because of his behaviour problems. He was suspended from elementary school for sexually inappropriate behaviour upon younger, mentally disabled boys, court heard.

As a teenager, he once choked his mother. On another occasion he pointed a gun at her then turned it toward himself and pulled the trig- ger twice, but the weapon did not discharge.

His criminal record lists 30 convictions in 18 categories, including nine violent crimes. The record includes sexual assault upon young males, unlawful confinement and threats to kill his victims.

A psychiatrist described him in 2002 as a “very dangerous individual.”

Paproski’s “organic brain disorder” has made it difficult for him to benefit from rehabilitation programming in jail, court heard. He has little insight into his own behaviour and testing shows him to be a high risk to re-offend.

Paproski said he is sorry for what he has done and hopes to get help.

Judge Barry Singer told Paproski the reports show “there is some hope” for him but a life sentence is appropriate for the crime in which he caused “grievous injuries while in a rage (he) couldn’t control.”