Sentencing for a man convicted earlier this year in a Saskatoon court on attempted murder was postponed again.
Cory Smockum, 38, was supposed to be sentenced in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench on June 17 but the sentencing was adjourned. Smockum was initially scheduled to be sentenced on March 23 but that date was also adjourned.
after a five-day trial. The jury had reached a unanimous verdict on the attempted-murder charge but couldn’t reach a verdict on two other charges including aggravated sexual assault and choking to overcome resistance. Justice G.M. Currie declared a mistrial in February on those two charges. On June 5 the Saskatoon Prosecutions Office said it was retrying Smockum on the sexual assault and choking to overcome resistance charges. A pre-trial hearing on those charges is set for June 19 in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench.
The attempted murder, as well as the sexual assault and choking to overcome resistance charges all stem from an incident on Oct. 14, 2018, near Hanley, after Saskatoon Police responded to a call that a man was threatening a woman. During the trial, the court heard that Smockum sexually and physically assaulted his former girlfriend in a garage after the two attended a sled rally together in Hanley.
According to court records, the victim spent six days in hospital with broken ribs, a brain bleed, damage to her knees and stitches on her lip. She had a cut on the side of her head, black eyes, bruising and ear damage.
During the trial the court also heard that Smockum has a 2016 conviction after being arrested in 2015 by North Battleford RCMP. He was charged with sexual assault, assault and choking to overcome resistance. The choking charge was dropped and the assault and sexual assault charges were changed to assault causing bodily harm and sexual assault causing bodily harm, respectively. Smockum was found guilty in 2016 of assault causing bodily harm in the 2015 incident. He was found not guilty of sexual assault causing bodily harm.
Smockum remains in custody.
Smockum is now scheduled to be sentenced on the attempted murder charge on July 9 in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench.
