A Toronto lady who used her younger son to assist smuggle 3.5 kilograms of cocaine from Aruba into Canada has been sentenced to three.5 years in jail by an Ontario choose who’s urging “some type of early launch” so she will be able to maintain her two kids.
On Nov. 6, 2019, authorities at Toronto Pearson Worldwide Airport caught Cassandra Gordon with two kilograms of coke taped to her physique; her twelve-year-old son had 1.5 kilograms taped to him, in keeping with a latest resolution from Ontario’s Superior Courtroom of Justice.
“Whereas denunciation and deterrence should predominate, rehabilitation is a precept of key significance for Ms. Gordon. Any sentence imposed, by cause of Ms. Gordon’s circumstances, standing as a primary offender, and being the mom of two boys, should pay cautious consideration to rehabilitation,” Justice David Harris wrote.
“In conclusion, it’s for these causes that I might impose a sentence of three and a half years on Ms. Gordon. I might suggest that the authorities contemplate non permanent absence or some type of early launch so that she will be able to are inclined to her two sons as quickly as attainable.”
A jury discovered Gordon, 34, responsible of importing cocaine from Aruba into Canada, rejecting her defence of duress, mentioned the choice dated April 28.
“The Crown asks for seven years incarceration,” it mentioned. “The defence argues for 3 years.”
Her son who was used to smuggle cocaine didn’t testify on the trial.
“I discovered in a bottom-line ruling after the discovering of guilt that Ms. Gordon was chargeable for the cocaine carried by her son as nicely,” mentioned the choose. “The idea for this discovering was, in view of their respective ages and their relationship as mom and younger son, it was Ms. Gordon who was the directing thoughts behind this importation. She was proved past an affordable doubt to be the principal in her son’s possession.”
Utilizing her son to import cocaine was “a considerable aggravating issue,” Harris mentioned. “It’s deplorable that Ms. Gordon used her son on this strategy to facilitate the importation scheme. It considerably will increase her ethical duty.”
The mother alleged she was coerced into smuggling the cocaine into Canada.
“Ms. Gordon’s proof recounting the coercion and threats made in opposition to her and her son which led her to import the cocaine was imprecise and fewer than compelling,” Harris mentioned.
“There was no substantial help for her story from another proof. Moreover, it was adduced within the Crown’s case that the morning after her arrest, Ms. Gordon acquired a textual content message on her telephone a few 50K wire switch.”
Gordon instructed the courtroom the message was from a buddy who had tried to steer her to commit cheque fraud.
“The Crown challenged this rationalization,” mentioned the choose. “I agree that within the circumstances, it was open to query.”
Gordon, who’s Black, has suffered from “varied types of hardship together with loss, sexual abuse, single parenting, poor psychological well being and poverty,” in keeping with the creator of her pre-sentence report.
“Totally thought-about, Ms. Gordon has withstood greater than her share of disappointments and social injustices,” mentioned the choose.
Gordon, who’s of Antiguan and Jamaican heritage, was born in Toronto.
“She is the youngest of 4 kids and a guardian of two sons, ages 12 and 16,” mentioned the choice. “Ms. Gordon grew up from beginning to age 12 within the Scarborough neighbourhood of Galloway, probably the most impoverished in Toronto. Her father was bodily abusive in direction of her mom.”
Gordon grew up in poverty, mentioned the choice.
“Her father despatched cash to help his older kids in Jamaica as an alternative of serving to her mom. Ms. Gordon didn’t obtain Christmas presents and he or she had restricted clothes. She had no disposable earnings.”
Gordon instructed the courtroom “they lived in a sponsored townhouse with loads of social points together with weapons and medicines.”
Gordon was 17 when she had her first baby, mentioned the choice.
“The daddy of the kid was emotionally and bodily abusive all through their relationship which lasted for 5 years,” mentioned the choice. “Ms. Gordon reported that their relationship ended after the beginning of their second son in 2012, however the emotional and verbal abuse continued each time that they had contact and he or she was subjected to threats each time she reacted.”
After they broke up, she bought sole custody of the boys, mentioned the choice.
“Her 16-year-old son has ADHD and is speech and developmentally delayed. Her 12-year-old son has gentle autism and a studying incapacity.”
Psychological well being issues have damage Gordon’s efforts to carry down a job, the courtroom heard.
“That her two sons won’t have her nurture and help throughout any time period of incarceration is heartbreaking,” mentioned the choice. “Apparently, her mom will maintain them.”
A number of points of anti-Black racism bear on Gordon’s case, mentioned the choose.
“It’s extremely possible that the individuals above her within the importation scheme have been males,” Harris mentioned. “Notably in gentle of her historical past of being the sufferer of sexual assaults and assaults by males, together with as a toddler, as a Black lady she was notably susceptible to recruitment as a drug courier.”
Gordon was recognized with post-traumatic stress dysfunction when she was about 20 years outdated, mentioned the choice. “She acknowledged that the abuse she endured by the hands of her former associate was an element within the analysis. She has additionally been recognized with common anxiousness and despair.”
Gordon “tried to take her life on two events as she felt stagnant and unable to manage,” it mentioned.
Her sister reported that Gordon’s “psychological well being is worse since her arrest and he or she typically broke down in tears about the truth that her son was handcuffed,” mentioned the choice.
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