‘Lock me up for the rest of my life’ request granted

Ontario Court of Appeal agrees to stiffer sentence for Thomas Straub

The respondent (Straub) has a serious personality disorder, as well as a substance use disorder that enhances his risk of recidivistic violence.

Dangerous offender Thomas Straub will remain locked up behind bars until he can prove he’s rehabilitated and can reintegrate into society without posing a risk to the public.

On Monday, the Ontario Court of Appeal released a decision that resulted in a stiffer sentence for the Peterborough native.

Straub, declared a dangerous offender by the court in 2020, originally received a composite sentence; imprisonment for a term of five years, to be followed by a longterm supervision order for a further 10 years, from Justice Robert Beninger.

However, the prosecution felt the judge’s sentence was too lenient and didn’t do enough to protect the public.

Ontario’s top court agreed, set aside the composite sentence and imposed a sentence of detention in a penitentiary for an indeterminate period.

“The record, as a whole, does not provide evidentiary support for a conclusion that there is a reasonable expectation that a lesser measure than an indeterminate sentence will adequately protect the public against the respondent’s (Straub) violent recidivism,” the decision reads.

An indeterminate sentence requires Straub to take rehabilitation measures for a chance at parole after seven years and/or every two years after that.

The original sentence handed down by Beninger allowed Straub to serve his sentence and be released at the end, whether he had or hadn’t taken rehabilitation steps.

“The respondent (Straub) has a serious personality disorder, as well as a substance use disorder that enhances his risk of recidivistic violence. Personality disorders are notoriously treatment resistant and the respondent has demonstrated no real insight into the need for any kind of treatment,” the decision reads.

Straub’s dangerous offender designation came after he pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, assault with a weapon, forcible confinement and breach of probation.

According to Peterborough police, Straub attacked a woman waiting for a bus on George Street in November 2016.

Police reported that Straub dragged the woman into a nearby building before two men intervened.

COURT DECISION STATEMENT

At the time, Straub lunged at one of the men with an eight-inch butcher knife, police said.

During sentencing submissions in 2019, assistant Crown attorney Lisa Wannamaker outlined Straub’s long criminal past, including 90 convictions, 29 of which included violence or threats of violence.

Wannamaker noted that most the his crimes were against women, including two sexual assaults. Wannamaker also highlighted Straub’s past troubles, including four police chases and masturbating in front of his caseworker.

While in custody, facing the possibility of a dangerous offender designation, Wannamaker told the court Straub continued to be a nuisance.

Straub set a fire in his jail cell and also wrote concerning letters containing threats of violence and sexual assault.

In a letter written to a fellow criminal associate, Straub spoke of shooting police when he was released, court heard.

Straub also wrote a letter to his former lawyer, telling her that when he got out that he would break into her house, stab her and sexually assault her.

“When I know you’re almost dead, I’ll untie you and flip you over. I am going to rape you,” Straub wrote in a letter that was entered as evidence.

After submissions closed on the dangerous offender hearing, Straub wrote another letter from jail.

“Please lock me up for the rest of my life,” Straub wrote to end the two-page handwritten letter.

The confession letter was for the prosecutor. Wannamaker reopened sentencing and Beninger considered the letter in his decision.

In the letter, the author refers to himself as “Lord Strauby.” The letter disturbingly describes sexual assault, assault deviances and outlines how his sexual perversion started at the age of eight.

“I have been looking (through) windows peeping and creeping at girls,” Straub wrote.

“I would always do it late at night and I’d be hidden in the dark.”