N.B. man declared dangerous offender after N.S. assault denied parole

A New Brunswick man with a history of violent offences, most of them against women, has been denied parole.

In a hearing earlier this month, the Parole Board of Canada found that James Joseph Martin, 57, is still far too high a risk to be let out of prison.

Martin was declared a dangerous offender in Nova Scotia provincial court in 2014 and ordered locked up indefinitely.

The designation came four years after Martin pleaded guilty to several charges, including sexual assault, assault and uttering threats, related to a violent attack against a woman in May 2009 in Nova Scotia.

In making its decision to deny parole, the board cited recent assessments that Martin had undergone.

High risk to reoffend

The assessments found Martin was a high risk to reoffend in the three years following any release. He was also assessed as a moderate-high risk for violent recidivism and a well-above average risk for sexual recidivism. 

The board listed Martin's lengthy history of criminal offences, including kidnapping and sexual assault causing bodily harm.

Martin had previously been sentenced to a long-term supervision order but was convicted of breaching that order.

The board noted the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), which has been in charge of Martin for the last 10 years, is opposed to his release.

"CSC recommends that the board deny both day and full parole, noting your current level of risk for violent and sexual offending, your problematic conditional release history, and your remaining outstanding dynamic risk factors to address," the board said in its decision.

"They do not believe they could manage the risk you present to the community at this time."

'Severe and brutal'  

The dangerous offender designation in Canada is reserved for the most violent criminals and sexual predators. While dangerous offenders can apply for parole after seven years, the designation usually equals a life sentence.

Martin had proposed a release plan in which he would first earn a minimum-security classification and then work on temporary absences and work release programs to eventually qualify for a spot in a halfway house.

The board said any future release would require "extreme caution" and control due to Martin's "patterns of severe and brutal offending."

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