A 22-year-old inmate, motivated by entertainment and notoriety was sentenced to 10 more years for attempted murder of a civilian teacher.
Cory Derdak appeared in provincial court in Drumheller on Friday, March 13 in shackles. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder.
The court heard how Derdak was in a class at the Drumheller Institution, when he approached the victim seated at her desk, who was teaching the class. He stood over her feigning to ask for assistance when Derdak produced a jail made weapon of sharpened metal. He stabbed the teacher a number of times in the throat, scalp and back. When another inmate stood up, presumably to intervene, Derdak fled to his cell. The shank was found near the school.
The RCMP was called to the Drumheller Institution and he was charged with attempted murder.
He then confessed to the RCMP. Prosecutor Ron Pedersen said Derdak told police that “today was a good day to kill the teacher.”
He told police he had been planning to do this for a couple days. On the day in question, he waited until the guards had made their usual rounds before he approached the teacher. He admitted that he stopped his attack when the other student made a move.
When asked for the reason behind his attack, he said he was bored and thought that killing would be entertaining and put him at the “top.”
Pedersen recommended a sentence of 8-15 years for the attack. Defense for Derdak, Alias Sanders recommended a sentence in the range of 6-8 years. She said mitigating circumstance included a timely guilty plea. Derdak had been transferred to a Quebec penitentiary and attempted to have the charges waived there for a guilty plea, but was unsuccessful.
The court heard victim impact statements from the family, read by Judge Grieve. The teacher in the attack presented her own statement to the court.
In handing down his sentence, Judge Grieve said to Derdak that his actions are a “serious offense done for a thrill, your thrill, at her expense.”
Grieve sentenced Derdak to 10 years.
