Sentencing for terrifying Church St. apartment break-in postponed

Sentencing for a man, who broke into a Church Street apartment in the summer of 2021 terrorizing its female occupant, has been postponed for a second time.

Lucas McHugh's lawyer sought the adjournment Wednesday because she didn't have an opportunity to review the pre-sentence report with her client.

Adrienne Hagan said she didn't receive the PSR, dated Jan. 10, until Tuesday afternoon, and that it doesn't contain any information from treatment centres he has attended.

"The Crown is seeking a significant amount of custody," she said, indicating she was not prepared to proceed at this time.

The defence told Ontario Court Justice John Condon that she is reaching out to the residential treatment centres to provide supplemental reports.

Assistant Crown attorney David Didiodato said the defence has alerted him to an additional potential legal issue.

"It makes sense to have a (further) judicial pre-trial," he told the court.

Condon granted the defence request for the adjournment.

A judicial pre-trial before another judge will take place Feb. 28.

McHugh will return to Condon's court May 29 for sentencing.

He pleaded guilty to break and enter to commit mischief and unlawful confinement in September.

The woman awoke, shortly before 6:30 a.m. on Aug, 20, 2021, to find a stranger, covered in blood and holding a large piece of glass, in her apartment.

He was incoherent and she feared he was going to kill her.

A sentencing hearing initially was scheduled for Nov. 15, but was put over until this week because the pre-sentence report wasn't completed.