Prostitute killer can't control urges, court told

Svekla's dangerous-offender hearing

By TONY BLAIS, QMI Agency
January 27, 2010

EDMONTON - Convicted prostitute killer Thomas Svekla cannot control his sexual urges and acts on those impulses by violently overpowering his victims and taking advantage of them.

That's what Crown prosecutor Ashley Finlayson said Tuesday during his closing argument at Svekla's dangerous offender hearing in Court of Queen's Bench.

The hearing originated from Svekla's conviction in Peace River of sexual assault and uttering death threats stemming from an Aug. 4, 2005, attack on a woman in High Level, and Finlayson cited several other of the former mechanic's convictions, as well as unproven allegations.

"What it shows is he is taking advantage of someone that he has gotten control of so he can sexually assault them and satisfy his sexual impulses," said Finlayson.

In order to prove that Svekla, 41, is a dangerous offender, Finlayson presented as additional evidence his convictions for sexually assaulting two young girls, including one for which he got a seven-year sentence last year.

The unproven allegations include testimony that Svekla pinned a girl against a classroom wall during junior high and tried to remove her clothes during a recess break.

As well, another woman testified Svekla choked her and tried to sexually assault her when she was a teen, and a former lover told court Svekla choked her until she passed out and forced unwanted sex on her.

The High Level case involved Svekla attacking a woman he had invited to his basement suite for drinks. She testified he grabbed her by her throat and hair and began sexually assaulting her.

She also said Svekla threatened to break her neck and said he would hide her body "where nobody was going to find it."

The woman escaped and went to police after she "played dead" and then fled when Svekla turned his back.

The hearing, which began in November, also heard psychiatric evidence concluding that Svekla is a psychopath who poses a high risk of reoffending violently.

The defence, which called no evidence at the hearing, is slated to present its closing argument Wednesday.

Svekla is currently serving a life sentence with no chance of parole for 17 years after being convicted of second-degree murder in June 2008 for the slaying of prostitute Theresa Innes, 36. He has appealed the conviction.

He was also found guilty of offering an indignity to a body for transporting Innes's wire-bound and wrapped remains in a hockey bag from High Level to Fort Saskatchewan.

However, Svekla was acquitted on identical charges in the 2004 death of prostitute Rachel Quinney, 19. Her mutilated, naked body was found by Svekla in a wooded farmer's field near Fort Saskatchewan in June 2004.

If he is designated a dangerous offender, Svekla would receive an indefinite prison sentence.

From: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2010/01/27/12627886-sun.html