A homeless man who was slashed in the neck in an unprovoked and unexplained assault in 2006 said yesterday at his attacker’s sentencing hearing that he doesn’t feel safe at home and can’t even shower without barricading his front door first.
Chang Kyun Kim, 47, was found guilty in February of four counts of aggravated assault for slashing four homeless people in separate incidents in Vancouver in September 2006.
No reason was ever given for the attacks that sent ripples of fear through the city’s homeless population.
“I’m always watching behind my back,” said Ward “Tex” Millett, a former homeless man, who spent three days in the hospital following the attack.
He said he lives scared, unable to walk down the centre of the sidewalk out of fear he might be attacked again.
“It’s an awful way to live,” said Millett, who was crying when he left the courtroom.
Crown lawyer Andrea Spence said the attacks were predatory acts of extreme violence. They were committed in public and were completely unexplainable.
She argued for a sentence in the range of 15 to 20 years.
Defence lawyer Leslie Anne Wall said Kim should receive a sentence of six to eight years.
Kim was born in Korea and moved to the Lower Mainland in 1981 with his family who opened several restaurants and corner stores, all of which failed.
Kim became depressed and isolated from his family, Wall said. He started smoking marijuana to deal with stress and moved out when his younger sister moved back to Korea.
He spent the next 15 years staying with friends and living on the streets.
Kim will be sentenced June 2.
