man charged with regina aggravated sexual assault enters unexpected plea
eugene george laramee's trial had been cancelled because it was expected he would plead guilty in relation to allegations that he committed an aggravated sexual assault in february 2023.
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eugene laramee
ho: regina police service
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eugene george laramee, who is charged with aggravated sexual assault, was all set to enter a guilty plea monday morning. at least that was the impression lawyers had when they walked into regina’s court of king’s bench.
but when court opened, the accused man’s lawyer, tyne hagey, said based on a conversation she had with her 66-year-old client monday, she was asking the court’s permission to stop representing him.
the presiding judge recommended to laramee that he get the help of another lawyer.
“i’d like to plead not guilty,” laramee told the judge from a witness stand, where he sat in shackles.
according to the regina police service (rps), in the early hours of feb. 25, 2023, a 41-year-old woman entered a vehicle on the 1100 block of angus street. police say she got in with laramee.
the rps alleged he sexually assaulted, choked and threatened to kill her before she managed to escape and call for help from a nearby business. he faced charges as a result.
laramee was originally expected to go to trial this week. however, according to prosecutor adam breker, the trial was called off when laramee indicated through his lawyer that he would enter a guilty plea.
breker told the judge the only reason the trial’s witnesses were cancelled was because of the expected guilty plea, and an understanding that lawyers would put forward a joint submission on sentence.
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the matter will be discussed further at an upcoming pre-trial conference, according to the judge.
according to parole records, laramee has a criminal history dating back to at least 1979 when he committed an armed robbery on a couple. the man was tied up and forced to watch as laramee sexually assaulted the 60-year-old woman.
his offending history also includes the 1991 aggravated sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, for which he was given a 20-year sentence by a manitoba court.
with regard to the alleged offences for which he is currently charged, the court considers laramee innocent until proven guilty.
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