Woman accused of crushing animals to death with feet for dark web videos denied bail
CBC
WARNING: This story contains details about child pornography, sexual abuse and the torture and killing of animals.
A Winnipeg woman accused of crushing animals to death with her feet for videos she and her boyfriend then allegedly sold was denied bail Friday, following a lengthy hearing in a Manitoba court earlier this week.
Irene Lima and Chad Kabecz were arrested and charged with several animal cruelty offences in October, after the provincial veterinarian got a tip from a citizen about videos and photos of animal torture.
They had been posted on the dark web — online content that doesn't show up through regular searches, and can only be accessed with a special browser. The citizen who made the tip said they believed the people behind the videos were from Manitoba.
That tip led police to search a home in Winnipeg's Lord Roberts area, where officers seized several electronic devices that revealed hundreds of videos and photographs and tens of thousands of encrypted communications between the two accused, police said at the time of the couple's arrest.
Court heard previously that police seized a cat carrier, multiple cellphones, a computer, Lima's diary and a blue Tupperware bin that was seen in videos and was claimed to have cats in it. They also took some blood samples that were found in the suite, USB drives and other items.
Lawyers made arguments for and against Lima's release during an hours-long bail hearing on Monday, after which provincial court Judge Kusham Sharma reserved her decision.
WATCH | Woman accused of crushing animals to death with feet for dark web videos denied bail:
Those arguments — along with any evidence or information presented during the hearing, and the reasons Sharma gave for her decision Friday — can't be reported because of a publication ban. Those types of bans are common during bail hearings, where judges are required to grant a ban if requested by the accused.
However, the fact a hearing is held, whether bail is granted and any conditions on a defendant's release can be published without violating that ban.
Lima sat in the prisoner's box as Sharma read her decision on Friday, not looking up from the floor as the judge denied her release. At least one of her family members was also present in the gallery for the decision.
Her lawyer, Mike Cook, told reporters outside court he was disappointed by the outcome.
"I thought my client put forward a good bail plan. I thought it addressed the concerns," Cook said.
He plans to consult with Lima and meet with the prosecution in the case next month to discuss what will come next.
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