A Vancouver man has been given a two-year conditional sentence to be served in the community, after pleading guilty in the death of a 72-year-old man.
Anthony Warren Woods, 31, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a B.C. Provincial Court in the death of Alex Gortmaker, who was killed in a Vancouver hotel on Dec. 15, 2020.
He was given a two-year conditional sentence, as well as three years probation.
In handing out the sentence, the judge said he considered the perpetrator’s condition and background in giving a lighter-than-normal sentence. This included Woods suffering verbal and emotional abuse as a child while in foster care, his “cognitive deficits,” and his sticking to his conditions and attending treatment for addictions.
Woods and a friend had been drinking before they returned to a suite in the hotel just before 2 p.m. They continued to consume alcohol as well as drugs in the suite, the court record said.
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The two men then left the suite, banging on doors, upsetting tenants who complained to management.
Woods and the other individual who is not named in the court record ended up in the elevator.
Gortmaker and a woman entered the elevator and took it up to the third floor. On that floor, the woman exited the elevator.
As the elevator headed up, Gortmaker had words with Wood, pushing him a little, Harris wrote. Woods then pulled out a knife and stabbed Gortmaker one time in the upper chest.
The elevator door opened on the fifth floor and Woods tried to push Gortmaker out, but the man was holding on to his arm.
Woods exited the elevator and when Gortmaker let go of his arm and fell to the floor, Woods got back into the elevator. He took it to the second floor where he found a balcony and jumped out of the building.
Hotel staff tried to help Gortmaker as they waited for medical care, but he died at the scene. An autopsy confirmed the stab wound, and also that Gortmaker had “unknown quantities” of alcohol, cocaine, and fentanyl in his system, according to the court record.
Woods was arrested hours later and gave a statement to police, the court decision said.
“During the interview, Mr. Woods was emotional, he described the minor altercation leading to the stabbing, he expressed he (sic) that wanted to apologize to the family and he indicated that wished it had never happened,” Harris wrote.
Police did not lay charges at that time, and let Woods go free.
On Sept. 10, 2021, Woods was charged with Gortmaker’s death and arrested.
He was held in custody until April 11, 2022.
Victim Impact Statement
Gortmaker’s neice Sandra Gortmaker gave a victim impact statement to the court.
She described her uncle as a “peaceful, loving man with a sense of humour and a person who shared with her the treasures of his many journeys,” according to the court record.
“My Uncle Alex was brutally taken from us in a senseless act of violence. His life was stolen, his joy and sense of humour stolen,” she told the court. “This leaves a void that will not ever be filled and scars that may never fully heal.”
She also read messages from others who knew her uncle.
“Mr. Gortmaker’s death has left a void of joy and happiness in those he regularly visited,” Harris wrote.
Sentencing
The court decision notes the difficult life that Woods has had, including being placed into foster care at the age of 3.
Harris also noted that Woods has been sticking to his bail conditions, and attending treatment for addictions.
Woods has also been diagnosed with mental issues, including depression, ADHD, and a neurobehavioral disorder. The judge also noted that he had suffered “verbal abuse and emotional abuse” as a child while in foster care.
“I recognize the sentence is below the range typically imposed, however, I find the combination of Mr. Woods’ background, his cognitive deficits, his rehabilitative progress and his prospects justify a departure from the range,” Harris wrote.
