Man who fled sentencing at Hamilton courthouse given four months for leaking intimate video, vandalism

The man who allegedly fled his sentencing hearing at the Hamilton courthouse had been given four months in jail for leaking an intimate video of his ex-girlfriend and keying her car, according to newly released court documents.

Jeffrey Adubofuor, 31, was previously in a relationship with the victim. After the pair broke up, he sent an intimate video of the two of them to the victim’s new boyfriend. He also keyed her car with the message “Krama,” a misspelling of “Karma.” He was charged with two offences for these actions as well as an overall criminal harassment charge.

“The victim testified, and was uncontradicted, that she did not consent to the video being sent, while Mr. Adubofuor, himself, admitted to sending the video,” wrote Justice Michael K. Wendl, “Finally, at trial, I accepted the fact that the victim was not aware that the video was even taken.”

Wendl continued that Adubofuor’s sending of the video, “is a significant breach of trust and the impact on the victim is the same. It is degrading and substantial.” The victim herself wrote in an impact statement, “I thought I would begin to find some sense of safety. This feeling was quickly ripped away from me when an intimate video of myself was weaponized and used to cause further abuse and embarrassment.”

“The nonconsensual distribution of this video was not only bullying but it was horribly abusive and calculated. It was done to inflict embarrassment, pain, diminish my character in the eyes of my boyfriend, and whoever else may have received the video.”

Adubofuor’s defence stressed that he is a first-time offender and a victim of anti-Black racism throughout his life. However, “how the court assesses the gravity of the offence is not affected by the background of the accused,” Wendl found. “However, no connection has been established between the sending of the intimate video and his being subject to anti-black racism.”

Instead, given Adubofuor’s testimony, “When I look towards his testimony at trial, he had absolutely no regard for the fact that the victim was in a vulnerable position in the video when he sent it.  She was merely incidental to him showing off the size of his penis,” Wendl wrote.

“Hey, we’re having a dick-measuring contest,” Adubofuor testified as to his motive, “I’m not worried about you. I’m good in that department. Just worry about your girlfriend and leave me alone. That was the intention behind it. It wasn’t to share. It was literally like, the video, you see, it’s just my dick. You want to measure dicks? Let’s measure dicks.”

However, Adubofuor did testify to some remorse for his actions saying he “regrets the whole situation.” He has no previous criminal record, in gainfully employed and is a university graduate. He has stong support from his family and is in a new romantic relationship. This, Wendl felt, gave Adubofuor strong odds of rehabilitation.

Wendl also felt Adubofuor had absolutely no regard for the victim in this case…her embarrassment or humiliation, both of which go to the core of her dignity, were simply secondary to him wanting to show off the size of his genitalia.”

As such Wendl sentenced Adubofuor to four months in jail and two years of probation. However, events took an unusual turn in the courthouse when Wendl delivered this sentence. Adubofuor panicked and attempted to run out of the John Sopkina courthouse.

Following the sentanceing hearing on Oct. 26, he made a run for it. He was brought down a few minute later by a large group of Hamilton Police Special Constables, three of whom police said were injured.

Adubofuor’s lawyer Selwyn Pieters shared video of the takedown. While Adubofuor is obscured in the video, it does show a group of at least ten cops dealing with someone on the ground. Pieters is kept back by another pair of special constables.

Even if he can’t be seen in the video, Adubofuor can be heard. He tell the officers holding him down, “I cannot breathe now. You have me. Where am I going?” He later tells the officers, “I just want to turn over and breathe.”

It was a lot today to process at the Hamilton courthouse. Who wanna give me a hug? I need it. #vicarioustrauma pic.twitter.com/a13bgQJWyw

— Mr. Toronto Lawyer (@selwynpieters) October 26, 2023

The officers continue to surround Adubofuor, loudly talking over each other and to him. After a brief cacophony Adubofuor cries out in pain and yells something “cracked.” At the end of the three-minute video one officer can be heard trying to calm Adubofuor while he is lifted up off the ground.

“A full investigation is required. Was the accused also injured and hospitalized? How was he treated when he had an anxiety attack? Who broke his fingers? Who hit him in the head with a baton? Who dragged him face down along the Court’s hallways? Videos don’t lie. Preserve them,” Pieter’s later wrote on X.

Typically, the Special Investigations Unit looks into arrests where the suspect is seriously hurt. However, they usually announce when they invoke their mandate to investigate and have not in this case. Adubofuor had no criminal record prior to his conviction. He now faces additional charges of escpaing custody and three counts of assaulting a police officer.