After sentencing a young man to a two-year penitentiary term for sexual assault, a Toronto judge took the unusual step Tuesday of leaving the bench to present him with a book, and stunning his parents with quick hugs.

Superior Court Justice Kelly Byrne also gave the victim, sitting in the court, a book and clasped her hand after sharing some “personal comments” and urging Patrick Walsh — who maintains his innocence — to reflect on what happened and use the experience as a “platform of growth.”

“I can’t express enough how much all of you have been constantly on my mind, not just for the past days and weeks but for months,” Byrne said addressing Walsh, 22, members of his family, and the university student a jury believed in the he said, she said case.

“I got up and thought of you Mr. Walsh and your family as you would be rising this morning, maybe having some breakfast, maybe not knowing what to say to each other, being filled with fear and sadness,” Byrne continued.

She then directed her remarks to Walsh, whose dreams of graduate school in the U.S., where he attended college on an academic and athletic scholarship, came crashing down after his conviction last September for sexual assault.

Byrne, sighing deeply, told Walsh that as a parent with young adults, “books have always provided me with guidance and support and comfort, so as I kind of thought of you in my mind, I came across a book that was and is important to me and I purchased the book for you.”

Moments after calling Walsh’s conduct the night of May 13, 2016, “callous,” deplorable” and “demeaning,” the judge said she hoped he would accept the book “with my hopes that you will be able to move forward.”

The tall, ashen-faced lacrosse player took the book — which Byrne did not identify — and thanked her. The judge also embraced Walsh’s parents, who are divorced and seated separately, and touched him gently on his back before he was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

The judge told the Ryerson student she had also purchased her a book — The Untethered Soul, by Michael A. Singer, that “was also important to me so I would like to give it to you if you will accept it from me.”

In her sentencing decision, Byrne described that she expected the “incident” would have a “lifelong, psychological and emotional impact on her.”

The young woman, whose identity is protected under a publication ban, declined to comment on the judge’s comments or the book, but provided its’ name to prosecutor Brigid McCallum.

Before the sentencing hearing turned personal, the judge summarized the case.

At the start of the two-week trial last fall, Walsh was also facing the relatively rare Criminal Code charge of knowingly publish, distribute, transmit, or otherwise make available an intimate image of the complainant, who did not give consent.

The victim alleged Walsh used his iPhone’s FaceTime application to transmit video to his laughing friends of her naked and vomiting in bathroom of a downtown Toronto apartment.

At the time, Byrne agreed with defence lawyer Zachary Kerbel and dismissed the charge, finding there was no proof it happened. She elaborated Tuesday.

While the judge said she believed the victim’s testimony about FaceTime, “unfortunately her ability to fully perceive what was going on was significantly compromised.” She could not say for certain he was FaceTiming images of her to his friends, the judge found.

However, Byrne said she found Walsh’s evidence that he was FaceTiming his friends for advice about the young woman throwing up in the bathroom “totally unbelievable.”

“His conduct was nothing less than deplorable and demeaning,” the judge said.

The jury convicted Walsh after hearing the young woman testify he forced vaginal penetration after she repeatedly told him to stop, as well as forcing her to perform oral sex.

“Mr. Walsh perpetrated not one but two acts of significant personal violence,” said the judge.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Given the serious nature of the offence, the judge said Walsh, despite being only 20 at the time and a first offender, should receive a two-year penitentiary sentence, prompting one of his three sisters to burst into sobs. The Crown was seeking a three-year sentence, and Kerbel asked for 12 months.

Walsh’s distraught family lingered in the court after the judge retired, one of them shouting “tell the truth,” as the young woman left the courtroom.

Kerbel said his client is appealing and would be released on bail almost immediately.