The Saint John Law Courts building in Saint John, N.B. on December 19th, 2019. (Tamara Steele CHSJ News)
A Saint John court has learned the details of a vicious uptown assault last summer.
43-year-old Michael Price pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the beating of 67-year-old Jan Beaman on Canterbury Street on August 1st, 2019.
Police found Beaman unconscious and bleeding when they arrived.
Three men came upon the scene in a vehicle and one of them, Gary Urquart, tried to intervene and assist Beman and he was also punched in the head by Price.
Several witnesses said Price continued to kick and punch Beaman after he fell to the ground.
Beaman suffered fractures to his nose and eye and spent a few days in the hospital.
Court learned Beaman is the father of Price’s on-again, off-again girlfriend and the two have a history including a no-contact order for Price to remain away from Beaman at the time of this incident.
The charges against Price include assault causing bodily harm, assault and breach of probation.
A charge of attempted murder filed initially will be handled when sentencing is complete.
Price’s defence lawyer, Wes McIntosh, noted both parties were intoxicated at the time of this incident.
He said his client has a history of alcohol and mental health struggles.
McIntosh said the death of Price’s young daughter in an accident impacted him greatly and he has a “pattern of self-destruction.”
Crown prosecutor Rebecca Logan spoke of Price and his “pattern of behaviour” noting a prior violent offence involving Beaman and 11 violent charges on his criminal record.
The Crown wants Price to serve a global sentence of four years of new jail time which Logan hopes will deter Price from doing this again.
The Defence is asking for less time.
McIntosh made Justice Marco Cloutier aware that Price has support with his parents seated in the gallery on Thursday morning.
The sentencing hearing for Michael Price is scheduled to resume on January 17th, 2020 at 1:30 p.m.
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