Toronto

Rookie jail guard Michael Parsons was viciously beaten and choked by two inmates in an unprovoked ambush last fall at Toronto South Detention Centre, court heard.

Inmate Justin Cyopeck, 23, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of assaulting a peace officer — Parsons, and a fellow guard, Melanie Ukrainec.

Cyopeck’s partner in the violent attack on the unsuspecting guard, Kurtis Sutherland-Cada, pleaded guilty to the same charges last month and will be sentenced on Aug. 21.

“Parsons was conducting a routine day-room patrol alone at the detention centre on Nov. 29, 2016 when Cyopeck and Sutherland-Cada suddenly jumped him, repeatedly punching him in the face and head,” said Crown attorney Scott Arnold, who read an agreed statement of fact to Justice Paul Robertson.

Parsons, now 24, desperately tried to defend himself, but was overwhelmed by the two convicts, who knocked him to the floor, said Arnold.

“Cyopeck jumped on top of him and delivered a flurry of punches, then got his arms around Parsons’s throat and started choking him,” said Arnold.

With Parsons defenceless, Sutherland-Cada boxed the guard’s face and head, said Arnold.

When Ukrainec, 39, came to rescue her struggling colleague, she suffered blows to her shoulders and arms. Ultimately, other guards pried the attackers off Parsons and put them in segregation, court heard.

Parsons and Ukrainec were taken to Trillium Hospital by ambulance. Parsons suffered injuries, including a concussion, bruises to his left orbital bone, lacerations to his face and broken blood vessels in one eye. Ukrainec suffered a sprained wrist and finger.

Arnold said Parsons is still feeling the emotional effects of the two-on-one beating.

Cyopeck — with 19 convictions already on his record — was in custody at the time on charges which included threatening and breaking and entering. He’ll be sentenced on Sept. 26.

Sutherland-Cada, who has amassed more than 30 convictions on his record, was facing robbery and firearm charges.

spazzano@postmedia.com