Macdala Monfiston, a Haitian-born Canadian permanent resident, had her four-year sentence for aggravated assault reduced by Quebec’s Court of Appeal. She attacked and bit a woman outside a Laval bar in 2022, leaving her with a permanent forehead scar; the appeal judges cited the risk of deportation and the effect on Monfiston’s five children.

Monfiston will serve two years less a day in the community, including 18 months under house arrest and about six months under a night-time curfew. The court also considered her difficult upbringing, previous convictions and immigration status, while the victim said she feared for her life and remained anxious about encountering Monfiston again.