Man pleads guilty after strangling, attacking Edmonton mother outside of her children's daycare
A man has pleaded guilty to several charges after an Edmonton mother was slammed to the ground and strangled in front of a daycare while two of her children looked on in horror.
On Friday, Rockie Rabbit, 30, pleaded guilty in Alberta Provincial Court in Edmonton to aggravated assault and overcoming resistance by choking.
Rabbit is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 26. He was in court Friday dressed in an orange prisoner’s jumpsuit, and said ‘yes’ and nodded when asked if he understood his guilty plea.
The victim of his attack, who was unknown to Rabbit at the time of the attack, is expected to attend and deliver a victim impact statement.
Court heard an agreed statement of facts that outlined the July 14 attack.
It reads that the 39-year-old victim was walking along 111 Street near 105 Avenue to collect her three children from Seven Stones Daycare.
It describes how Rabbit tried to pull off a grey backpack she was wearing, asking her, “did you kill my daughter?” and demanded to know where the girl was.
Reading from the statement, Crown prosecutor Mark Fernandes recounted how she tried to pull away from him, but he slammed her to the ground with both hands before mounting her and alternating between strangling her and punching her in the chest and stomach.
Two of her children, aged six and eight years old, “cried hysterically” as they saw the attack through the glass daycare door, according to the statement.
The attack was captured on video by CCTV as well as on a bystander’s cell phone, and lasted about four minutes, Fernandes said, noting “it very nearly caused her death.”
Court heard how when police arrived they found Rabbit on top of the mother, still strangling her. He was arrested and later admitted to police that he had consumed meth before the attack.
The attack left the woman unconscious with a tennis-ball sized hematoma on her head and shallow breathing. Her face had also turned blue and she was foaming at the mouth.
Her husband ran to the scene from their family’s home about a block away and was “distraught,” according to court documents.
Rabbit has been in custody since the attack. Four months before then, he was issued an appearance notice relative to an assault charge in Calgary that was resolved last month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Here's how much more Canadian landlords are asking for now, according to a just-released report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A man was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.