Raymond Ramsey did not have a good start in life.
The Oneida First Nations man with a long, violent criminal history, was born to a drug-addicted, alcoholic mother. Before he was 18 months old, he had lived in seven foster homes. He has faint, fond memories of living with his grandmother, but he was torn from her when she became ill and died from complications of diabetes.
Ramsey, 33, was sentenced Friday to two years in a federal penitentiary for beating up a prostitute in a dispute over money. On Nov. 2, he beat the woman so severely, she needed facial reconstructive surgery.
Ontario court heard of his horrific upbringing during his sentencing hearing. Justice Lloyd Dean called it “almost incomprehensible.”
Neil Rooke
Ramsey took his surname from the family that cared for him for two years until he was four. Then the Children’s Aid Society saw fit to place him with an aboriginal family. Allegations of abuse saw him moved again after only nine months.
In a thorough report that focused on his native status, court heard Ramsey showed aggressive behavioural problems from an early age. He was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, then with severe depression. There is some speculation he also suffers from a fetal alcohol disorder.
At the time of his latest offence, he had just been released from a federal penitentiary for armed robbery. While imprisoned, he beat his two cellmates to a pulp.
He shows no remorse for his crimes, nor empathy for his victims.
His long criminal record for assault, break and enter, theft, uttering threats and other crimes suggest he may be on his way to being designated a dangerous offender who will be kept behind bars indefinitely, said Ontario court Justice Lloyd Dean.
“I am most concerned with Mr. Ramsey’s ability to function in society,” Dean said. While there is “some hope” for rehabilitation, “that hope gets dimmer with each conviction,” the judge said.
The Crown was seeking a 2½-year prison term for Ramsey. His lawyer, Neil Rooke, asked the court to consider Ramsey’s upbringing and consider a sentence of 12 to 18 months.
The judge opted for a two-year sentence followed by three years of probation. He recommended that Ramsey be housed at an institution with programs for aboriginal offenders.
Dean also handed Ramsey a lifetime weapons prohibition.
“The stakes are high for the offender given what the Crown is asking for,” the judge said in sentencing Ramsey. “The stakes are also high for society.”
ssacheli@windsorstar.com
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