By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter with files from Lara Fominoff - @LaraFominoff

Champion grocery store owner sentenced for sexually assaulting customer

Jul 3, 2018 | 3:10 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The 59-year-old owner of a grocery store in the community of Champion, located south of Vulcan, has received a five-month jail sentence after admitting to sexually assaulting one of his customers.

Hyowon Lim was sentenced Tuesday, July 3, in Lethbridge Provincial Court, following his initial guilty plea in May and the preparation of a pre-sentence report (PSR).

Crown prosecutor Vaugh Hartigan explained to the court that around 7 p.m. on Aug. 26, 2017, a woman in her 20s entered the store and was met by Lim, who attempted to kiss her twice after a brief conversation. Lim proceeded to follow her through the store – at one point pressing himself against her from behind, wrapping his arms around her, and touching her genital area while saying, “I can’t help myself,” and asking her to go into the back of the store with him.

The woman told him “no,” left the store and reported the incident to the RCMP. It was noted at the time of Lim’s guilty plea that the property’s video surveillance system corroborated the victim’s account.

After reading over the facts, Hartigan discussed Lim’s PRS, which stated that he has difficulties with impulse control and anger management. Hartigan noted that Lim has been remorseful and had no prior criminal record, but said such actions require a sentence that would send a message of denunciation and deterrence.

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“[Lim] has a difficulty articulating any real reason [for the offence],” said defence lawyer Frank Llewellyn, as part of his submissions to the court.

Llewellyn then outlined Lim’s history, saying he immigrated to Canada in 2000 and started working in Calgary as an electrician. After losing his job approximately 10 years ago, he said the family purchased the store in Champion. Lim would work 12 to 13 hours a day and lived in separate quarters in the back of the store. Llewellyn added that Lim’s wife of 30 years continued to live in Calgary and would occasionally visit to help with the store.

“He worked long hours and was stressed, anxious, depressed and sleep deprived,” Llewellyn told the court, reading from a note written by Lim’s doctor. He also said Lim had been prescribed anti-depressants but thought he had stopped taking them at the time of the incident.

“Following this, he even contemplated suicide for a period of time,” continued Llewellyn. “He has certainly assured me that these events will never happen again.”

Lim’s sentence came as the result of a joint submission from both the Crown and defence and includes one year of probation following his release from custody. During that year, Lim must take any counselling as directed by his probation officer and can have no contact with the victim.