Teen admits to vicious machete attack that has left gangmate scarred

EDMONTON – A teenager who viciously assaulted a 14-year-old boy with a machete in a small community south of Edmonton last June has pleaded guilty to two of three charges laid against him.

Court was told both boys were in a gang and were driving around Beaumont in stolen vehicles trying to steal from unlocked cars.

The boys stopped near a construction site, where the accused, who is now 16, admits to hitting Braydon Heather with a machete.

The victim was in a coma for around two weeks following the assault.

His mouth was cut towards the left side of his face, his earlobe was severed and his thumb had to be re-attached.

The 16-year-old pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and possession of a weapon, though a charge of attempted murder was withdrawn.

“In terms of aggravated assault, this was a particularly heinous one,” said Crown prosecutor Trent Wilson.

The youth has already served 12 of the 18 months he was sentenced for while in custody, and he will be on probation for another 18 months.

“The penalty doesn’t line up with the actions, and I think that’s everybody’s feeling,” Amberleah Heather, the victim’s mother, told CTV News.

She said her son is still recovering and is able to walk and talk, but he suffers from brain damage and is living with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“He’s going to have a lifetime of scars,” his mother said. “Those scars will never go away. They are so deep and horrific.”