Youth found guilty in attack on Edmonton lesbian

An Edmonton teen has been found guilty in an attack the lesbian victim believes was provoked by her sexual orientation.

A youth court judge found the 15-year-old boyguilty of aggravated assault in the April 17, 2010, attack on Shannon Barry near 96th Street and 75th Avenue.

"I feel lighter," Barry said outside the courthouse. "The sense of relief is mind-boggling."

Barry, 32, suffered a broken jaw, crushed eye socket and nerve damage to her face when she waskicked in the head.

The teen, who cannot beidentified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, showed no reaction when the judge found him guilty. He will be sentenced on Sept. 6th.

Barry's friends testified they were walking home after celebrating a birthday when a group of young men came up behind them and began hurling homophobic insults.

Barry stumbled and fell as she moved towards the group. One of Barry's friends testified that one of the group members kicked her in the head.

The youth claimed he punched Barry in the face in self-defence and suggested one of his friends was responsible for the kick.

Youth court Judge Danielle Dalton did notbelieve the teen's testimony and said he wasa bad witness who lacked credibility. The judge said she believed the teens hurled homophobic slurs at the women before Barry was attacked.

Barry believes the attackwas a hate crime.

"After they knew that we were homosexual, they continued to follow us and that's when the aggravation really began," she said.

The judge ordered the teento undergoa psychological assessment before he is sentenced.

The Crown prosecutor asked for the report because he wanted the court to know "what would drive a kid to kick someone in the face with that kind of force" and then lie about it under oath.