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Lutczyk sentencing continues Friday

 

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Former councillor Robert Lutczyk is set to learn his fate later this week during the second day of sentencing for kidnapping charges stemming from a 2012 incident. Prosecutors are asking for 10 years, while Lutczyk’s attorney is asking for eight.

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Robert Lutczyk

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

The final decision on the fate of former city councillor Robert Lutczyk will be decided on Friday.

Back in court Feb. 26 for his second day of sentencing, Lutczyk, who pleaded guilty in December to kidnapping Oshawa’s city solicitor David Potts at gunpoint, will most likely hear how many years he has left in prison when Justice Alex Sosna drops his final decision that day.

Sentencing began on Feb. 4 with Potts’s wife Maureen reading the family’s victim impact statement before a courtroom filled with family members, onlookers and media.

“There are no words to describe Mr. Lutczyk’s cruelty,” Maureen said.

In October 2012, Lutczyk, facing money and personal problems which he blamed on Potts, kidnapped the lawyer from the driveway of his Courtice home at gunpoint. The event culminated with Potts escaping unharmed and a 27-hour standoff with police where Lutczyk eventually surrendered. He has been in custody ever since.

Prosecutors are seeking a 10-year sentence for the crime, claiming Lutczyk has shown little remorse for his actions and the danger of him relapsing into criminal activity again is high due to the fact that the stress he faced prior to the incident are common in many people’s lives.

However, Lutczyk’s lawyer, Chris Murphy, argued his client’s mental illness exacerbated the stress in his life and should be taken into account. Lutczyk has been diagnosed with an adjustment disorder. Murphy is seeking an eight-year sentence.

Regardless of the outcome, Lutczyk will get full credit for his three-plus years in pretrial custody. If given the full 10-year sentence, he would have approximately three and a half years left to serve.

Lutczyk is expected back in court starting at 9:30 a.m.

Look for next week’s edition of The Oshawa Express for a feature length look at the long case of Robert Lutczyk, including notes and information from the pre-trial process that have been restricted under a publication ban and will be published for the first time.

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