Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/6/2014 (2287 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A former Winnipeg police officer who plotted the home invasion and prolonged rape of his terminally ill ex-wife has lost his bid for parole.

Documents obtained Monday by the Free Press show the now 58-year-old man has been deemed an "undue risk" to public safety and will remain behind bars. He was sentenced in August 2009 to 12 years, 10 months in prison, in addition to 13 months of time already served, after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual assault and break-and-enter with intent.

Several factors are cited for denying his application for early release -- including strong opposition from family members of the victim, who died of cancer in 2012.

"They believe the victim's illness was aggravated by the assault and contributed to her death," the parole board wrote.

The convicted sex offender can't be named to protect the identity of the victim under a court order. He was seeking to be released to live in British Columbia, where he plans to work as a landscaper. Parole officials expressed concern he appears "to have little or no genuine remorse for your crime and do not seem to understand the terrible harm you inflicted in your victim."

They said he has repeatedly downplayed the horrific facts of the crime while blaming outside factors -- job stress, jealousy, his own childhood -- for what he did. "Your actions demonstrate a disregard for the victim's vulnerability and the law in general," the parole board wrote.

The July 2008 attack came after the 25-year veteran of the police service had previously been arrested five times since 2006 for breaching a protection order the victim obtained against him.

According to an agreed statement of facts, he knew his wife had cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy, which left her considerably weakened. He left his home in the middle of the night -- leaving two sleeping young children alone in their beds -- and went to the woman's home, which he knew had no alarm coverage on the windows.

The victim awoke to the sight of a man on top of her wearing plastic gloves and a black nylon stocking over his head. She later told police she initially thought it was a dream, but then recognized the attacker as her ex-husband. The man restrained the woman and repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted her over the course of several hours.

The victim managed to secretly call 911 while the man was in another room. A recording of her call was played in court.

Police arrived moments later and caught the accused trying to leave. The woman suffered numerous injuries that required hospitalization. Her ex-husband admitted to the attack and told the arresting officers, "I should have just had you shoot me."

www.mikeoncrime.com