An aboriginal man who was serving an indefinite prison term is getting a chance at possible freedom.
34 year-old Chad Michael Ewenin was declared a dangerous offender and given a prison term with no end date.
Saskatchewan’s court of appeal overturned the designation and ordered a new hearing.
Today, Ewenin, is telling his story to a Regina judge.
He broke down in tears as he recounted his life.
Ewenin was physically and sexually abused in a residential school.
From there he went into foster homes where he was also subject to physical abuse.
He also lived in group homes but often ran away.
He first started getting in trouble with the law at age 12, and racked up a total of 54 convictions, including 7 violent crimes, one where he stabbed a Saskatoon cabbie who suffered life threatening injuries.
Ewenin says he always felt inadequate, and lonely, never feeling like he belonged.
He is currently serving his sentence in B.C.
His lawyer Jeff Deagle wants Ewenin declared a long term offender and given a fixed prison term of six years, followed by 10 years of intensive supervision in the community.
Ewenin was designated a dangerous offender in 2009 after the hold up of a Regina convenience store.
The Saskatchewan coalition against racism says this case is example of the justice departments frenzied efforts to bring forward dangerous offender designations in borderline cases.
Ewenin will continue his testimony this afternoon.