Two-year sentence requested for Sask. father who withheld daughter, hoping she wouldn't receive COVID-19 vaccine

The Crown has made its sentence submissions for Michael Gordon Jackson, the Saskatchewan man found guilty of withholding his daughter to prevent her from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Crown has made its sentence submissions for Michael Gordon Jackson, the Saskatchewan man found guilty of withholding his daughter to prevent her from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

Jackson, 55, was found guilty by a jury in April following two weeks of court proceedings for contravention of a custody order for withholding his then seven-year-old daughter from her mother in late 2021 and early 2022.

As part of her submissions, Crown Prosecutor Zoe Kim Zeggelaar submitted her arguments to the court for a two-year prison sentence.

“General deterrence sends a message,” she said.

In addition to time behind bars, Kim Zeggelar also requested three years of probation plus 200 hours community service.

“This sentence speaks to the need to denounce and deter [Jackson’s conduct],” she said.

Court also heard from the girl’s mother once again.