Midland woman freed from jail after pleading guilty to stabbing while out on bail

A Midland woman with a lengthy criminal record walked out of court a free woman after accepting a plea deal.

A Midland, Ont. woman with a lengthy criminal record including crimes of violence has been sentenced to time served after accepting a plea deal.

Georgia Quanbury, 26, who had been in custody since her arrest on February 14 for stabbing a woman in the leg with a four-inch pocketknife, pleaded guilty to several other charges, including assault and uttering a threat.

Quanbury walked out of the Midland courthouse Thursday afternoon, with a cigarette in her mouth and court paperwork in hand, a free woman after she pleaded guilty in a deal between the Crown and defence. In total, Quanbury admitted to assaults against three women, failing to comply with a release condition not to possess a weapon, theft of a cell phone and uttering a threat to cause death or bodily harm to Michelle Vainer, who was sent to hospital in an alleged hit-and-run in Midland last summer.

Police said Quanbury was in the passenger seat of a car driven by her then-boyfriend Patrick McGuire when Vainer was struck by a vehicle in the early morning hours of August 12, 2024 near Wellington and Robert streets. Quanbury was charged with being an accessory to attempted murder.

McGuire was granted bail in January under strict conditions, including house arrest. The allegations against McGuire have not been tested in court.

Other charges against Quanbury have been withdrawn by the Crown in exchange for her guilty plea. Quanbury admitted to threatening to punch and beat up Vainer. Vainer, who was rushed to hospital in critical condition following the crash, has since recovered.

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Five months after the alleged hit-and-run incident Quanbury was granted bail. She was out of jail until Valentine’s Day when police said she stabbed a woman in the leg at a Midland apartment and breached conditions of her release by having a weapon on her.

Quanbury also pleaded guilty to using an alcohol container as a weapon and hitting a woman last July. She entered a guilty plea to then assaulting her neighbour and stealing the woman’s cell phone three days before the incident involving Vainer.

Quanbury has been charged every year since 2017, according to court records, with counts such as theft, assault, careless driving, and drug possession. Her lawyer Emily Dyer told the court about Quanbury’s significant struggles with addiction and anger management. She added her client has had no family support since her mother died five years ago.

Quanbury was offered an opportunity to address the court before receiving her sentence.

“I know I’ve done wrong,” she told Justice Robert Gattrell. Quanbury expressed remorse before sharing her desire to feel safe.

The judge accepted her apology but reminded Quanbury of the harm she has done to others. “It would be nice if the people around you could feel safe,” adding, “Sticking a knife in somebody’s leg is pretty extreme behaviour.”

Justice Gattrell then agreed with the joint sentencing submission from the defence and Crown and sentenced Quanbury to time served equivalent to 388 days in jail and two years of probation.

A preliminary hearing for McGuire is scheduled to take place in July.