Regina street gang member handed 11 year prison sentence and designated long-term offender

Regina man and street gang member, Hickson Blacksioux, was sentenced in Regina Court of King’s Bench on June 21 to 11 years in prison and designated as a long-term offender.

Blacksioux was found guilty on seven charges, including break and enter and robbery with a firearm on July 22, 2020, at a home in Regina. He was also convicted of pointing a firearm at Lindsay Bruce Severight, shot Josephine Kasokeo in the chest with intent to endanger life, and resisting a peace officer during arrest by fleeing.

Blacksioux had committed these crimes less than a month after being released from prison for a string of convenience store robberies.

The Crown had applied to have Blacksioux declared a long-term offender, which means a harsher sentence.

Dr. Shabehram Lohrasbe, a forensic psychiatrist in B.C., prepared a report for the court. He has been qualified as an expert witness more than 600 times in trial courts in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, the Yukon, and Northwest Territories. A significant proportion of Dr. Lohrasbe’s work involves assessing men who commit serious violent offences. He has presented expert testimony in more than 170 dangerous and long-term offender hearings.

Dr. Lohrasbe testified that Blacksioux is not “a borderline case,” and is clearly a high risk to reoffend violently, said Justice Mitchell. He identified substance abuse and gang membership as significant factors which contribute to Blacksioux’s high risk to re-offend violently.

“Should Mr. Blacksioux continue to associate with a criminal gang, Dr. Lohrasbe predicted it will make efforts for meaningful rehabilitation difficult, if not impossible,” said Justice Mitchell.

“I am persuaded that there is a very real and substantial risk that Mr. Blacksioux will violently reoffend,” said Justice Mitchell.

A sentencing hearing was held from March 11 to 14, 2024, and final arguments by defence and Crown were made on April 21, 2024. Justice Mitchell had reserved his sentencing decision to June.

Blacksioux, now 30, is a member of the Piapot First Nation but lived in Regina all of his life. He has struggled with addictions, including alcohol, meth and cocaine. His grandparents attended residential school and he suffers from inter-generational trauma.

Blacksioux has a “startlingly long criminal history for a young man,” said Justice Mitchell. It includes 49 prior convictions between 2010 and 2019, including 21 youth convictions and 28 adult convictions. They are mainly violent offences, property offences, and non-compliance-related offences.

“The trajectory of Mr. Blacksioux’s criminal history following his initial conviction for aggravated assault in October 2013 is disturbing as it has become increasingly violent and more serious,” said Justice Mitchell.

He has spent nine of the last 10.5 years in jail, either serving a court-imposed custodial sentence or on remand awaiting trial or sentencing.

While incarcerated at the Regina Correctional Centre from 2018 to 2022 he had 28 charges.

A long-term offender designation and a LTSO is not intended to punish the offender but to protect the public and help the offender reintegrate into the community, said Justice Mitchell.

Blacksioux was given 70.5 months credit for time served on remand while waiting trial. This means he has 61 months of five years and one left to serve.

After Blacksioux is released from prison he will be on a 10-year LTSO.

“Despite Mr. Blacksioux’s lengthy criminal record and the drastic failure, to date, of his rehabilitation following prior incarcerations, I am of the view that there still remains some hope for him,” said Justice Mitchell. “By all accounts, he is an intelligent person, and if the statement of the Lohrasbe Report is accurate, he is aware of the precariousness of his current situation and is ‘aware that he is at a crossroads in his life.’

“He has now reached the end of the road within the criminal justice system,” added Justice Mitchell. “This is his last and best chance of pulling back from the abyss. In future, he can expect no more breaks. Should he commit another serious offence, he will almost certainly lose his liberty and personal freedom permanently. Simply put, unless Mr. Blacksioux truly turns away from his anti-social behaviour, he likely will spend the rest of his life in prison.

“I urge you, Mr. Blacksioux, to reflect upon this reality as you serve out this sentence.”