'Dark. Cold. Pain': Crown asks for life sentence at Justin Hudson hearing

After hearing victim statements and psychological reports, the first sentencing hearing for Justin Hudson wrapped up Tuesday with another scheduled for December.

The Crown recommended a life sentence of about 21 years. Hudson would be eligible for parole in seven years, and has been in custody for two years already.

In December 2015, Hudson pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual assault one against the girl and one against a woman who was 23 at the time.

The victims,both attacked during aviolent early morning in November 2014 in Winnipeg, say they are trying to healphysically, but the psychological scars might be too deep to mend.

"It's hard for me to find the words to explain the impact that the assault has had on my life. I feel sad, angry, confused," the girl, who was 16 at the time, said in a victim impact statement read in court at her attacker's sentencing hearing.

"The pain is a heavy weight for me to carry."

Statement of facts read

Hudson, 22,was originally charged with attempted murder and aggravated sexual assault for the attack on the girl, who was left for dead on the banks of Winnipeg'sAssiniboineRiver,under the Midtown Bridge. The attempted murder charge was dropped as part of a plea deal.

He was also charged with sexual assault with a weapon in the case of the woman, who was hit with a baseball bat and sexually assaulted just off of Portage Avenue in the city's West End. Thatcharge was upgraded toaggravated sexual assault.

The woman, now 25, was in court with supporters but the girl, now 18, was not there.

Hudsonwas dressed inan orangejumpsuit with a plain grey sweatshirt over top, has a beard and long hair pulled into a ponytail.

He looked around only a little when he walked into court wearing leg shackles, then sat to face judge Tim Killeen.

Hudson sat with his arms crossedas Crown prosecutor DebbieBuorsread from an agreed-upon statement of facts in the afternoon. The 25-year-old woman listened in court, comforted by a supporter.

He will return to court on Dec. 16.

Difficult memories

After the hearing, the 25-year-old woman said the attack left her "always nervous."

"I'll be walking down the street and someone will be running behind me to catch a bus or something and my heart will hit the floor," she said.

"I'll be scared out of my mind for 30 seconds and after that I'lljust realize it's just some kid running for the bus and after that I'm angry, angry, and frustrated and hurt."

Sitting through the hearing brought back difficult memories, she said.

"I've gone through it once before, Iwas at the first court proceeding, but doing it again, all the emotions came back, all the memories came back," she said."I felt like I could see everything happening. I could see the individuals involved. I could remember how I was feeling."

"I remember being in the hospital. I remember being really, really confused and it was really hard to be in the same room as him. I could see him glancing at me and that was difficult."

She said being in court was also though,part of gettingclosure.

"I think if I weren't there, I don't think it would feel as over for me. But being a part of all of this wrapping up is what will make it all end for me."

She said she had already discussed the possibility of Hudson facing a life sentence, and the prospect brought some degree of relief.

"Obviously these are people that should not be on the streets and they're dangerous for everybody so it'll be good if they're not on the streets," she said.

Victim statements read out

In court, the emotional victim impact statements were read aloud by Buors. Although she was not present, the teen's voice was loud and clear.

Dark. Cold. Pain. I wish I could forget those memories but I never will.- Teen victim

"Youractions created an enormous amount of suffering for me. I will not allow you to have my silence," she said in the statement.

"This is my voice. I am a real person, ahuman being, and you hurt me terribly an injustice for which you are now paying the consequence."

She remembers the attack, but only parts.

"Dark. Cold. Pain," she said. "I wish I could forget those memories but I never will.

I have trouble looking people in the eye and anyone who looks at me intimidates me.- Woman attacked by Justin Hudson

The woman attacked by Hudson said she stillsuffersanxiety when she has to leave her house and she doesn't like to be out after dark anymore.

"Everyday activities can become a challenge. I could feel fine one minute and then the next thing I know I get scared, then I become angry with myself," she said.

"I have trouble looking people in the eye and anyone who looks at me intimidates me."

She said there are things that happened to her during the attack that she has not been able to share with her partner "out of shame."

"It's been two years since the night I was sexually assaulted and at times it feels like yesterday."

Co-accused is teenaged boy

According to the agreed statement of facts, Hudson committed the crimes with a 17-year-old boywho has yet to stand trial on the charges against him.

In the days after the attacks, police took the unusual step of naming the teen girl, whosesurvival story became a national rallying point for murdered and missing Indigenous women. However, a judge has since imposed a publication ban on her identity.

Police said the girl was out with friends in Winnipeg's South Broadway area when she became separated from the group.

• Crown details Justin Hudson's brutal attacks on woman and teen
• Justin Hudson pleads guilty to sex assault in attack on teen

Two males struck up a conversation with her, and the three went for a walk. The pair attacked the girl under the Midtown Bridgejust after midnight.

At the time of Hudson's plea deal, court heard the girl tried to fight back but was knocked to theground and stomped on. She tried to protect herself and fought back until she was knocked out.

Court heard once the teen was unconscious, she was stripped and sexually assaulted. When she came to, she was punched in the face and knocked out again.

At some point she was also robbed and ended up in the frigid river. The current took her about 100 metres until shemanaged to climb out, only to be attacked again, hiton the head with a hammer, according to the Crown prosecutor.

She was found on the river path around 7 a.m. by a passerby.

"When I arrived at the hospital, doctors did not think I would live," the girl's victim impact statement said. "My mother and father sat at my bedside beside my broken body.

"When I regained consciousness, my entire body was screaming with pain. More pain than I have ever known or thought possible. It was you who did that to me."

Beaten with bat

Hudson and his accomplice met the second victim, who was 23 at the time, around 2:30 a.m.

They were all walking down an alley off of Portage Avenue and Sherbrook Street, near the Sherbrook pool.

The Crown said the woman turned around and Hudson hit her in the facewith a baseball bat. He then hit her on the back of the head.

The woman was robbed and ordered to take off her clothes. Hudson andhis accomplice took turns sexually assaulting the woman at different locations in the alley, according to the Crown.

The pair eventually let her go and she made her way to a 7-Eleven store, where she asked for help.By random chance, it was Hudson's mother and sister that she spoke with in the store. They offered to walk her somewhere, but before they finished paying, she was gone.

The woman went to her brother's home just after 4 a.m. and he called911.

"At the time it was happening, I was so scared.I did my best to 'act' as they wanted me to out of fear that they would hurt me even more," the woman's impact statement said. "This made me so disgusted with myself and I hated my body for such a long time after.

"I couldn't be touched by anyone without feeling scared."

Family turned him in

The Crown argued Hudson had a traumatic upbringing and acts out when he gets angry. Any treatment he receives will be long-term and challenging, the Crown said.

Court was told there's a theme to his behaviour:his anger, acting out on it, and focusing on strangers.

Hudson was arrested Nov. 11, 2014 and admitted to the attacks and named his accomplice.

The teen suspect was arrested later that day. Evidence against him includes pictures he took with the teenage girl's iPod wearing herjacket, which uploaded to her iClouddigital storage.

DNA evidence connected Hudson to the sexual assaults.

Court was told at the time of the plea deal that Hudson's sister turned him in to police.

His family was suspicious when they sawHudson and his friend with items they believed were stolen, and saw thefriend trying to wash blood off shoes.

The day after the attacks, Hudson's mother confronted him and he responded by saying, "Shut the f--kup or I'll do to you what I did to that girl last night."

When his sister went to call police, he ran from the house.