A sentencing hearing resumed Monday for Michael Gordon Jackson, a 55-year-old Saskatchewan man who withheld his seven-year-old daughter from her mother for over 100 days between 2021 and 2022, attempting to prevent the child from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Jackson was found guilty in April of contravening a custody order, following a two-week trial. The Crown is seeking a two-year prison sentence, with credit for time served on remand, along with three years of probation and 200 hours of community service.
Representing himself throughout the legal process, Jackson delayed his sentence submission in August, claiming he had not received the Crown's or his Amicus' submission briefs until arriving in court that day. On Monday, Jackson argued for no jail time.
The final decision on his sentencing is expected on December 6. Jackson spent 541 days in remand at the Regina Correctional Centre before being granted bail in February 2023 under strict conditions.
During his defence, Jackson alleged mistreatment while in custody. He testified under oath that he was "singled out" by guards and inmates, claiming that his food was tampered with and his cell was ransacked during searches. "I lost over 60 pounds because I was not eating," Jackson stated in court.
In August, Jackson argued that his time in jail had already far exceeded any deserved punishment, emphasizing that he has not seen his daughter for more than two and a half years.