House arrest for Maple Ridge swarming attack designed to steal Lucy the dog

A woman got off with six months of house arrest and a small financial penalty after participating in a violent swarming attack in a Maple Ridge trailer park – all in order to steal back a dog named Lucy.

Shiny Christy Antonius was convicted in B.C. Supreme Court of robbery in connection with the May 9, 2022 incident that took place at the Ruskin Place mobile home park on the Maple Ridge/Mission border.

Antonius originally purchased Lucy, a beagle, for $560. Months later, Antonius was speaking with neighbour Monica Clayton and expressed difficulties caring for the dog and offered to give Lucy to her.

Although not requested, Clayton gave Antonius $110 for Lucy. Days later, Antonius expressed regrets about giving up Lucy, and Clayton took pity on her and allowed Antonius to take the dog out from “time to time,” said the court ruling.

“At some later point, Ms. Antonius stated that she wanted the dog back,” the court ruling said. “Ms. Clayton said she would think about it, but says she made clear that Lucy was now her dog. In the end, Ms. Clayton did not agree to give the dog back to Ms. Antonius.”

On the fateful day, Clayton saw Antonius and two other women approaching her as she walked Lucy.

“Ms. Clayton says that she was assaulted by all three women as they struck, pushed, kicked and pulled her while grabbing and wrestling Lucy from her arms. At the end of the struggle, Ms. Clayton was on the ground,” said the court ruling.

Clayton never saw Lucy again.

The defence argued in court that Antonius had an “honest belief” that she still owned the dog, but the jury disagreed and convicted her.

The attack had a profound impact on Clayton.

“Ms. Clayton says that she suffered physically, mentally and financially and that she has also suffered a negative impact on her reputation in her community,” said Justice Shelley Fitzpatrick in her sentencing ruling.

“Ms. Clayton describes that she had lacerations and bruises throughout her body. She describes having headaches for about a year, caused by her being kicked in the head during the attack or by the stress of the situation. She is now fearful of leaving her home.

“This has in turn resulted in Ms. Clayton feeling that she cannot get another dog, since she would have to take the dog out. She feels the loss of Lucy and the resulting loneliness. Ms. Clayton says she experiences panic attacks, trouble focusing and nightmares, although those symptoms have waned once the court proceedings were underway.”

In a pre-sentencing report, a doctor who interviewed Antonius said her recollection of the facts was “completely divorced from reality” and that she “lied” to the doctor.

“She blithely and dismissively referred to Ms. Clayton as an ‘old lady,’ while clearly knowing her name, which shows a complete lack of empathy for the effect of her actions on Ms. Clayton,” Fitzpatrick said.

Despite this, the judge spared Antonius prison time, ordering $860 in restitution, an 18-month conditional sentence, with six months of that under house arrest while living with family in Alberta.

“Ms. Antonius, I sincerely hope that you take this sentence as an opportunity to examine your actions and come to an appreciation of the harm that you inflicted on Ms. Clayton when you clearly had other and legal means of resolving your dispute with her,” the judge said.