Jeremy Morse
Shawville March 23, 2022
On Thursday, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice found Shawville mother, Nicole Shanks, not criminally responsible for the abduction of a newborn child last Mother’s Day.
Judge Julie Bourgeois agreed to a joint submission at the . . .
recommendation of a psychiatrist from The Royal, Ottawa’s mental health centre. “I can hardly imagine a more difficult moment for these two moms, and quite frankly I’m so impressed with these two moms’ resilience and strength,” said Judge Bourgeois as she made her ruling.
Shanks met Melissa Armstrong through a Facebook group for new mothers. On May 7, Shanks donated some clothing to Armstrong for her newborn son and a $100 gift certificate. Two days later, Shanks visited Armstrong with the promise of a gift basket. At the door, Shanks assaulted Armstrong with bear spray and abducted her newborn. Armstrong’s neighbours heard the struggle and held Shanks until authorities arrived.
In November, Shanks plead guilty to the charges and has been held in a detention centre, but will soon be relocated to The Royal. The duration of her stay is to be determined by the Ontario Review Board within the next 45 days.
In Armstrong’s victim impact, she explained the excessive anxiety caused by the abduction, but left on a note of self-empowerment. “I will work on it and I will beat this, and I will not let you take control of my life any longer.”
