Six and a half year sentence for man who choked infant daughter

James Vanderham, 23, has been sentenced to six and a half years after he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault against his infant daughter Taelyr Waluk.

The Crown was looking for Vanderham to serve between eight and ten years for the crime, the defense was looking for a maximum of three years.

The Crown argued that there was a lack of remorse after a prolonged assault against a defenseless infant. They also argued that Vanderham did not call for help after choking Taelyr 10-15 times.

Vanderham's defense team maintained that he was a young man who did not apprieciate the seriousness of his actions, claiming that he suffers from learning disabilities and low IQ.

Vanderham addressed the court, saying "My sweet little girl Taelyr, I miss you each day." "I hope you know I am truly sorry."

Taelyr was only ten weeks old when the assault happened.

She is now three-years-old, and living with injuries from which she will never recover.

"Taelyr is fed through a tube, she has a wheel chair, she's legally blind," said Taelyr's mother Hailey Waluk from her home in Sherwood Park on Friday, prior to the sentencing. "Pretty much, Taelyr's life will never be the same again."

With files from Vinesh Pratap.