Nanaimo prolific offender sentenced, crimes include assault of fellow inmate

He then pried off the front screen, threw it on the ground, smashed it and ran away.

“It is in keeping with Mr. McClintock’s history of somewhat random violence towards people and things,” Crown Counsel’s Neal Bennet told court.

McClintock’s actions resulted in nearly $5,600 worth of damage to the ATM machine.

Five days later, McClintock, a client of The Hub daytime social services program on Victoria Rd., got into more trouble when he assaulted an employee of the facility.

Bennet said McClintock appeared to be annoyed when he was offered clothing, then soon after lashed out with several punches to the arm, shoulder and back to the victim who was across a table from the enraged offender.

“It was quite a sudden assault without warning or provocation,” Bennet told court, who said the employee was uninjured from the strikes described as glancing blows.

Both incidents were witnessed by bystanders and captured on surveillance video.

While locked up the following month, McClintock unleashed a serious evening prison yard beating at Nanaimo Correctional Centre (NCC) where he ambushed a fellow inmate in mid-October.

McClintock was exercising outdoors within the confines of NCC, when a fellow inmate, whom NanaimoNewsNOW elected not to identify, was escorted to the exercise area.

Within moments of entering the yard and the victim appearing to be looking in a different direction, McClintock blindsided him with a surprise attack.

“Mr. McClintock took a short run, a few steps toward him and struck him at full force to the face, knocking him backwards onto the ground,” Bennet said.

NCC surveillance footage captured the assault, which showed McClintock kicking the downed victim several times.

Correctional staff quickly intervened.

Among several charges dropped in exchange for guilty pleas, problematic conduct at NCC included damaging his cell and threatening staff.

McClintock has 25 criminal code convictions to his name, with a bulk of them occurring since his 30th birthday, Bennet informed court.

Past notable run-ins with law enforcement include breaking into the Kamloops Canadian Tire and stealing a gun, as well as firing a BB gun toward several Nanaimo Mounties at a north-end park in 2022.

McClintock’s record includes four assaults against police officers.

Court was told McClintock is dealing with the effects of a head trauma injury, mental health issues and substance misuse.

A pre-sentence report showed he’s a high risk to re-offend with violence due to his mental health issues and substance misuse issues.

However, the Crown’s Bennet confirmed McClintock has had an encouraging turnaround at NCC over the past few months, with no recent misconduct issues.

McClintock is holding down a job, open to forensic help and complying with his allotted medication issued by NCC medical personnel.

With credit for time already served, McClintock has a further 108 days to serve at NCC.

At the end of his jail tenure, McClintock agreed to be housed at a psychiatric rehabilitation complex in Kamloops designed for people with acute health needs, according to defence attorney Jessica Dawkins.

Previously resistant to receiving help for his various issues, Dawkins said McClintock looks forward to getting assistance.

“It would get him out of Nanaimo to a place where he does have family. He’s got a long way to work with some struggles with his family, but he does have people who care about him and want to see him get the help he needs,” Dawkins told court.

While acknowledging his moral blameworthiness is reduced in part due to mental health issues and the head injury, Provincial Court Judge Christina Proteau said the sheer number of convictions McClintock has is concerning.

“If it continues sir, I’m going to have to send you to the federal penitentiary, that’s just really the only option,” judge Proteau said.

McClintock made a brief apologetic statement to the court, saying he looks forward to getting better.

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by Ian Holmes

Nanaimo prolific offender sentenced, crimes include assault of fellow inmate

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