WINNIPEG - A soldier who squeezed his infant triplets so hard they suffered nearly 20 broken bones didn't mean to hurt them, and is himself a victim of stress, sleeplessness and a rotten childhood, a Manitoba provincial court judge was told Monday.
"He wanted to shock or startle the babies to stop them from crying," defence lawyer Rod Brecht suggested.
"He didn't want to harm his children...that's why he squeezed them. He was afraid that even a pinch would leave some bruising."
The young soldier, who cannot be identified under a publication ban, has already pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm. Brecht asked judge Marvin Garfinkle to sentence the 25-year-old soldier to three years' probation.
The Crown is seeking an 18-month sentence, on top of the nine months the soldier has already spent behind bars since his arrest last fall.
"We're talking about 18 different bones that are broken in these babies," Crown attorney Jennifer Mann said.
"I would not term that to be minimal."
The defence spent much of Monday detailing the soldier's rough upbringing, which it claimed left him unprepared for parenting.
His father was abusive and ran off when the soldier was a preschooler, according to a psychologist's analysis filed by the defence. Years later, his mother dropped him off at high school and never returned.
The analysis also said a recent tour in Afghanistan left the soldier with post-traumatic stress. He performed menial labour and was frustrated at not being able to see action or help fight against attacks aimed at the Canadian base.
But Mann rejected that argument, pointing out the soldier admitted to police that he had squeezed an older child in a similar fashion prior to his tour in Afghanistan.
The soldier also told police he had trouble with his temper, and at one point during his police interview, punched a wall.
He also appeared thankful for the X-rays and for being arrested, saying if he had continued, he "might have killed" his children.
The soldier is expected to speak to the court prior to his sentencing Tuesday. The children remain in the care of their mother, the soldier's common-law wife.
