A woman who lived in Victoria under a fake identity for at least 10 years pleaded guilty Friday to abducting her toddler daughter nearly two decades ago.
Patricia O’Byrne, 55, appeared in Ontario provincial court in Toronto and pleaded guilty to abducting her 20-month-old daughter in contravention of a court order in May 1993.
Although there was a Canada-wide warrant for her arrest, O’Byrne evaded capture for 18 years by obtaining government identification in a false name.
The child’s father, Joe Chisholm, searched relentlessly for his daughter.
Finally, in October 2011, police received an anonymous tip from the Missing Children Society of Canada that O’Byrne was living in Victoria. She was arrested Dec. 1, 2011, and spent 48 days in custody before being released on bail.
At Friday’s court appearance, O’Byrne’s daughter, now 21, whose identity is protected by a court order, was present along with other family members, as a four-page agreed statement of facts was read.
The statement says O’Byrne was sexually abused by male babysitters when she was a child and witnessed the physical abuse of her mother.
“Her history of abuse resulted in significant trauma that left her distrustful of men in general and hyper vigilant in her need to protect her daughter from any perceived threats.”
When O’Byrne and Chisholm separated in June 1992, she became increasingly frantic and frightened while her daughter was in Chisholm’s care. She thought the only way to keep her daughter safe was to disappear, says the agreed statement of facts.
“She believed she was the only one who could keep her daughter safe, motivating her actions to abduct her child.”
With the benefit of time and therapy, O’Byrne recognizes the damage she has caused others. She also recognizes she deprived her daughter of multiple relationships, says the statement.
Crown prosecutor Michael Callaghan asked the court to impose a jail sentence of 15 to 18 months. Defence lawyer Julianna Greenspan asked Justice Mara Greene to allow O’Byrne to serve her sentence in the community.
Greene will deliver her judgment April 2.
If a jail sentence is imposed, it’s likely O’Byrne will serve it in Ontario.
Chisholm, who was not in court, filed a victim impact statement in which he asked the court to show mercy and not send O’Byrne to jail. “I don’t want our daughter to feel responsible for anyone’s suffering — not mine and not her mother’s.”
