A Winnipeg man has been sentenced to four years in prison for his part in an unprovoked three-on-one attack that sent a newly arrived Ukrainian refugee to hospital with stab wounds to his neck.
Tyson Bechard, 21, was one of three males arrested following the July 1, 2022, stabbing just steps away from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
“This was a vicious, unwarranted, violent attack on a vulnerable victim perpetrated by three young men basically acting like thugs,” provincial court Judge Vincent Sinclair said Friday.
“This was a vicious, unwarranted, violent attack on a vulnerable victim perpetrated by three young men basically acting like thugs.”–Judge Vincent Sinclair
Volodymir Ishchenko and a male friend, also a Ukrainian refugee, had been in Winnipeg for just two weeks when they crossed paths with Bechard, co-accused Jayden Martin, a male youth accused and a fourth male who wasn’t charged.
An agreed statement of facts previously provided to court said Ishchenko and his friend were crossing Israel Asper Way, near the museum, around 10:40 p.m. when Ishchenko’s friend accidentally bumped into one of Bechard’s group, apologized and continued walking.
Bechard and his two co-accused started yelling at Ishchenkco and his friend and charged at them.
Martin had a knife and the youth accused had a can of bear spray.
Ishchenko stopped, asked what was going on and apologized before the youth accused discharged the bear spray in his face, causing him to fall to the ground.
Martin approached Ishchenko, said something he didn’t understand, then stabbed Ishchenko in the neck.
Bechard punched Ishchenko two times in the head as the victim pleaded: “Comrades, I’m from Ukraine. I’m from Ukraine.”
At that point, one of the other males in the group shook the hands of the two Ukrainian men and apologized before fleeing.
Ishchenko’s friend flagged down a passerby, who called 911. Ishchenko underwent surgery for two stab wounds to his neck and a collapsed lung. He spent five days in hospital.
“It is very clear the assault has had a profound impact on Mr. Ishchenko,” Sinclair said. “The physical consequences, the pain of the surgery and the scars are daily reminders of this horrific incident.”
“The physical consequences, the pain of the surgery and the scars are daily reminders of this horrific incident.”–Judge Vincent Sinclair
Security video showed Bechard, Martin and the youth accused boarding a city bus minutes after the attack. Security video on the bus recorded the group laughing and boasting about the assault and wondering if it would be on the news.
Bechard can be heard on the video complaining about his hand hurting from punching the victim.
“I literally decked that guy in the f—ing head like four times, boof, boof, boof,” Bechard said.
“They appear to be gloating about it, almost to the point of justifying their actions… for simply being bumped into,” Sinclair said. “Anyone hearing what they said after seeing what they did to the victim would certainly be disgusted.”
Neither Bechard nor his two co-accused had criminal records prior to the attack.
Sinclair said he accepted Bechard’s claim he did not know Martin had stabbed Ishchenko when he stepped in to punch him in the head.
“It was a spur of the moment decision to attack the victim due to ego, hurt pride and stupidity, coupled with alcohol consumption and a pack mentality,” Sinclair said.
Bechard offered a brief apology to Ishchenko, who was present in court, saying “that really shouldn’t have taken place that night.”
Martin remains before the court, awaiting sentencing. The youth accused was sentenced to three years in custody and community supervision.
dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
Dean Pritchard
Courts reporter
Dean Pritchard is courts reporter for the Free Press. He has covered the justice system since 1999, working for the Brandon Sun and Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 2019. Read more about Dean.
Every piece of reporting Dean produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.