A former Cowdenbeath woman has hailed the end of a decade-long battle for justice to see the criminal who beat her husband jailed for life.
In the 10 years since her husband Dougald has been in a near vegetative state because of the assault, Lesley Miller has become a prominent campaigner for victims’ rights in Canada.
She said a decision by a Canadian court last week to declare career criminal Leo Teskey a dangerous offender was a “bitter-sweet victory.”
Teskey crushed Dougald’s skull, broke his nose and jaw and nearly ripped off his ear, leaving him bed-ridden and unable to speak. He now needs around-the-clock care.
The court outcome, in Edmonton, Alberta, means that Teskey will now be locked away indefinitely.
Lesley (64) said, “I wanted that man to pay for what he did.
“I hope he dies in prison because he’s put Dougald in a prison, and the only way that Dougald is going to get out of it is when he dies.
“He picked the wrong victim this time. He didn’t realise that I would fight to the very end. Finally, we won the war.”Sleeping in hallwayDougald, originally from Dunfermline, had been working in Canada but returned to Scotland in 1981 and met Lesley.
They were married in Alberta in 1982 and used Dougald’s success in the oil business to invest in rental property in Edmonton.
However, in November 2000, Dougald saw a man sleeping in the hallway of one of the buildings he owned and managed.
When he tried to escort the man out, Teskey who already had 37 convictions, including for shooting a policeman in the head and abusing the toddler son of a girlfriend attacked.
A postman found Dougald, then 61, lying in a pool of blood, wearing just a bathrobe, beaten almost beyond recognition.
After the attack Teskey stole items from Dougald’s apartment and took his car.
The ordeal prompted Lesley to embark on a long battle to ensure that her husband’s attacker never destroyed other lives.
She has become known in Alberta as a prominent advocate for victims’ rights and lobbied for rights to secondary victims.Conviction overturnedTeskey was found guilty of aggravated assault in 2002 and declared a dangerous offender in 2005.
But in 2007 the Supreme Court of Canada overturned the conviction and ordered a new trial.
He was found guilty again the following year.
Fighting the dangerous offender tag, Teskey told a hearing earlier this year, “This has been a very hard thing over the years, and also on my family and on society.
“I can never take this back. It’s something I think about every day since this happened. I’m just really, really sorry for what I did.”
However, Lesley has claimed Teskey would murder somebody if he was ever let out, and that he should be locked away for life just as her husband is incarcerated because of his injuries.
Making the dangerous offender ruling last week, Judge Eric Peterson said the criminal has a temper he cannot control, is manipulative, has a substance abuse problem and shows no remorse.
He said Teskey “is a serious threat to the safety of others” and is “willing to commit any type of crime to obtain personal gratification.”
The dangerous offender designation means an indefinite sentence unless the National Parole Board is convinced the person is no longer a threat.