Jail time for a Cape Breton couple who faced sex charges involving a minor.
Daryl and Shelley Digout were found guilty of sexual assault, interference, and exploitation in February and have now been convicted five years for the crime.
The sentence was handed down Thursday afternoon on charges that stem from 2020.
The mother of the victim says, “I’m not happy with today’s sentencing. They should have got the seven years,” which the prosecutor recommended in May.
She says her daughter is stronger because of all this and is on the road to healing, even though it will be with her for the rest of her life.
The mother wishes she could have kept her daughter from it happening, but it’s hard to decipher between people you can and can’t trust.
She added that she’s grateful that the Digouts showed up for their court date.
The Digouts were charged in May 2023; they then went missing but were found weeks later in Richmond County.
A mistrial was declared in October 2024, with a new trial that began in January 2025 with convictions in February.
The Digouts represented themselves and had previously pleaded not guilty to failing to appear in court, being at large, sexual assault, sexual interference and sexual exploitation.
A Jordan Delay was dismissed, earlier this month.
The public prosecution service tells us in an email; the defense applied for the delay that would rule a provincial court trial should end within 18 months of charges being laid.
According to a Jordan, anything that extends longer than that, violates Charter rights of a trial within a reasonable amount of time.
