Stephen Hopkins, convicted of sexual assault, declared long-term — but not dangerous — offender

Facing the possibility of a dangerous offender designation and its accompanying indeterminate prison sentence, Stephen Hopkins was instead sentenced to six and a half years in prison for sexual assault, among other charges Friday.

The sentence is in connection with Hopkins's 2022 conviction after breaking into a Cowan Heights home and sexually assaulting a teenager. A year before that attack, he was convicted of assault and sexual assault for lunging at women running on Long Pond trail in St. John's.

Those charges lead the Crown to attempt to have Hopkins declared a dangerous offender, which would include a prison sentence for an indefinite period of time.

While delivering his decision in Supreme Court in St. John's, Justice Peter O'Flaherty said that is "one of the most drastic sentences that may be imposed under Canadian law," and one that he felt wasn't warranted for Hopkins.

O'Flaherty said Hopkins's crimes did meet the conditions to qualify as a long-term offender, however.

In Canada, dangerous offender status is granted only when a person meets a specific set of criteria. The Crown must prove Hopkins has shown a pattern of being unable to restrain himself and that his lack of restraint has a high probability of harming people in the future.

Hopkins underwent a psychiatric evaluation as part of the dangerous offender application, after which a doctor deemed him a high risk to reoffend and found no evidence that he would change his behaviour.

Sentenced on 6 charges

In total, Hopkins was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for six offences. He was sentenced to six years for sexual assault, two years each for breaking and entering, uttering threats and assault — to be served concurrently with the sexual assault sentence — and an additional six months for parole violations.

A charge of forcible confinement was stayed.

Hopkins was granted the maximum credit for time served — a day and a half for every day spent in custody — with Justice O'Flaherty citing the conditions at Her Majesty's Penitentiary.

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That leaves 422 days remaining on Hopkins's sentence.

Upon Hopkins's release, a long-term supervision order will be in place for five years. He's also prohibited from using drugs and alcohol and cannot contact the victim while in custody.

O'Flaherty told the court the case was "complex, challenging and emotive" and wished Hopkins luck in the future.

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