By Khang Nguyen

Leslie Black asks for expungement hearing; Father speaks on case

Nov 12, 2015 | 11:54 AM

The man responsible for a brutal assault in Prince Albert last summer is attempting to get his charges removed.

Leslie Ivan Roderick Black was present in Prince Albert Provincial Court on Thursday morning.

Black, represented by defense attorney Brent Little, was granted an expungement hearing to review the sexual assault and attempted murder charges laid against him.

Black was charged in connection to the assault of Marlene Bird on June 1, 2014.

The attack resulted in Bird having both her legs amputated and severe damage to her eyesight.

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Black originally pled guilty to the charges on April 28, 2015.

Black’s father speaks

Solomon Ivan Black was in court on Thursday morning for his son’s hearing.

“I’m just here to support my son and just to be here with him now,” Solomon said outside the court. “I love him and I miss him dearly.”

Solomon said he and his son were “close, but not that close,” and Black had been living with him at the time of the incident. He said Black had a friendly personality, but was struggling with an alcohol and drug problem that had changed him over the years.

He recalled telling an intoxicated Black to stay home the night of the incident

“I was kind of worried about him because he would go out and get drunk and pass out,” he said. “When I first heard about (the incident), it was very shocking to me … I just about lost it because I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing was true.”

Solomon, who has dealt with addictions problems himself, was not present for most of Black’s childhood.

According to Solomon, Black was put into a foster care in Alberta after witnessing the death of his mother.

“He saw, right from the start to the end, when his mother got brutally murdered in front of him … I think that has had a lot to do with his mind and stuff like that,” Solomon said.

As part of a presentence report, Black underwent a psychiatric assessment in June. During a court appearance in September, Black requested to be further assessed by the Battlefords Mental Health Centre saying, “I believe there is something wrong with me and I need some help.”

Black’s expungement hearing has been set for March 10, 2016.

knguyen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @khangvnguyen