A B.C. man has been sentenced to three years and three months in prison for a machete attack that left the victim with multiple lacerations to his head.
Abbotsford Provincial Court Judge Gregory Brown said in his Oct. 26 decision that Bradley Wernicke struck Wayne Versfelt five to 10 times on the head and back with some part of a machete at a homeless camp in Abbotsford on July 28, 2019.
Brown said Versfelt sustained head trauma with an elongated skull fracture some 17 centimetres in length, multiple lacerations to the head, and an amputated ear that was later reattached.
“The incident was one of unrestrained violence, and Mr. Wernicke came back again to further attack his victim. He had to be pulled off of the victim," Brown said. “The wounds and injuries to Mr. Versfelt were significant and life-threatening.”
“Mr. Versfelt still struggles to look at himself in the mirror,” Brown said.
Brown said paramedics received a report that Versfelt had been assaulted at a homeless camp in the 33900 block of Gladys Avenue in Abbotsford.
Versfelt was taken to the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and was placed in the intensive care unit where he was sedated and put on life support. He was discharged several weeks later.
In addition to lacerations to his had and back, Versfelt’s left ear was partially amputated and reattached.
“Many staples and sutures were required to close wounds,” Brown said.
Versfelt said he got into a verbal altercation with Wernicke and rapped Wernicke on the shins with a stick.
“Mr. Wernicke pulled out bear spray, and Mr. Versfelt retrieved a shovel to protect his face,” Brown said.
Later in the evening, Versfelt was sitting with a group in the homeless camp, and he heard someone say he better watch his back.
He recalled being attacked from behind with no opportunity to fight back, the judge said.
“He felt pain on his head and saw Mr. Wernicke standing over him with a machete,” Brown said.
At the time, Wernicke claimed self-defence, Brown said.
Defence lawyers said Wernicke’s actions were fuelled by crystal meth, causing him to have feelings of paranoia.
“His girlfriend was very vulnerable, and Mr. Wernicke had been pushing her in a shopping cart due to her difficulty in walking,” Brown said. “He thought he was protecting his girlfriend. This also was not a stranger attack. Nevertheless, Mr. Wernicke takes full responsibility for this unprovoked attack and nothing excuses his conduct.”
In a victim impact statement to the court, Versfelt said he has recurring nightmares and sweats and feels like he was still fighting for his life.
"He had some 250 sutures and stitches and over 60 staples to his head and face,” Brown said. “He suffered from very painful headaches for about half a year, and had balance issues.”
Wernicke told the court he had reached a very low point in his life and wants to continue with measures to stay clean of drugs.
He was credited with 90 days for time served prior to sentencing, leaving a remaining jail sentence of three years.
