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The victim and Kilcher both knew a girl who lived at the mobile home where the attack happened, but had never met before. Kilcher answered when the victim came to the door, asking for the girl, court heard.

In his police statement, the victim said Kilcher was acting “confrontational,” grabbed a box cutter and chased him onto a bed in the trailer before slashing his neck.

He was high and not acting like himself, Kilcher’s mother said when addressing the court. She said her son’s drug addiction explains his actions, but does not excuse them.

Defence lawyer Mike Buchinski argued for a sentence of two years less a day, followed by a three-year probation period. He asked the judge to take into account that his client pleaded guilty, is relatively young and wants to go to rehab.

“I will do whatever I can to be forgiven and reconcile my wrongs,” Kilcher said in court, reading an apology letter he wrote to the victim.

“I need to learn a better way of life.”

Buchinski said his client has a brain injury from an ATM attack and started using meth to self-medicate. Judge Scott adjourned her sentencing decision to see if a neurological report could be done to canvass the possible impact Kilcher’s injury may have had on his criminal behaviour.

Fillo argued for a four-year sentence, saying probation will not address the need for public safety. She noted Kilcher has a criminal record and was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet at the time of the offence.

She said the wound itself was particularly serious, as it involved the jugular. Court heard the victim now struggles to eat and talk, and has facial dropping, nerve pain and migraines.

A once bright, funny and big-hearted man is now distant, depressed and miserable, his mother told court.

“He doesn’t want to leave the house. He’s not the same guy.”

Fillo said the victim told her his plans for the future are to avoid being attacked by a stranger.

“Luckily he has his life, but the life that he has is nowhere near the life he had prior,” she said.

bmcadam@postmedia.com

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