A Brantford, Ont. woman, who beforehand admitted to faking pregnancies and defrauding quite a few doulas, has pleaded responsible once more to related crimes, dedicated whereas serving her sentence on the unique set of charges.
Kaitlyn Braun pleaded responsible to the 4 new charges within the fall, and on Tuesday, these pleas had been re-entered.
Court docket additionally heard particulars about two extra individuals Kaitlyn Braun contacted, pretending she was experiencing being pregnant problems, whereas she was on home arrest.
Selections on her sentencing, nevertheless, have been postponed.
Braun’s historical past
In December 2023, Braun pleaded responsible in a Brantford courtroom to 21 charges and admitted to contacting quite a few doulas, individuals who present help throughout and after childbirth.
At the moment, courtroom heard she would faux she was pregnant, typically saying it was a results of a sexual assault, and was going via a stillbirth.
On Feb. 14, 2024, Braun was sentenced to 2 years much less a day of home arrest, although on the time Justice Robert Gee expressed his considerations concerning the sentence, saying he didn’t prefer it or the way it was structured. Nevertheless, he felt he needed to settle for it because it was a joint submission by each the Crown and protection.
“I have concerns about the mental health assessment and its finding that Ms. Braun is likely to reoffend,” Gee stated on the time.
New charges
On Tuesday, a Hamilton, Ont. courtroom heard that in April 2025, simply two months after Braun’s sentence was handed down, she contacted an area charitable group that helps mother and father in disaster.
She claimed her title was Kate Baker and was at McMaster hospital. She additionally stated she was 19 weeks pregnant with a child that might not make it to time period, as her water had already damaged.
The group related Braun with a volunteer who supplied to go to the hospital to fulfill her, however Braun got here up with excuses as to why she shouldn’t.
In the long run, the volunteer spent about 18 hours on the phone with Braun over a two-day interval, giving her social work companies.
It then turned clear that the help was being supplied beneath false pretences.
“She wasn’t pregnant,” stated Crown prosecutor Simon McNaughton, presenting the agreed assertion of details in courtroom. “She didn’t have pregnancy complications. She was doing this for reasons known only to her.”
Ten days after that incident, courtroom heard Braun contacted a Hamilton-based doula by way of textual content message.
Utilizing the title Jessica Baker, she as soon as once more claimed she was dropping a being pregnant, this time at 21 weeks, and he or she was at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
Over a three-day span, the doula and Braun exchanged about 600 textual content messages.
Braun additionally electronically signed a contract that the doula despatched her, agreeing to a price of $250, which was by no means paid.
When Braun all of the sudden stopped responding to messages on April 30, the doula turned apprehensive and contacted the hospital.
That’s when she was advised there was no affected person there with that title.
Hamilton Police stated Braun was arrested that very same day.
McNaughton described the most recent incidents as primarily the identical conduct as earlier than.
“This can be a longstanding sample for Ms. Braun,” he advised courtroom.
Sentencing discussions
The Crown and defence indicated they had been going to current a joint submission for a sentence of three years incarceration.
Justice Joe Fiorucci, nevertheless, paused proceedings at that time, describing it as a “fairly significant sentence.”
He stated he wanted extra data associated to Braun’s authentic sentence earlier than continuing.
The choose additionally requested that extra particulars be added to the agreed assertion of details, after one sufferer indicated in an affect assertion offered to courtroom that she felt sexually violated by Braun throughout their conversations.
“I don’t want to gloss over anything,” Fiorucci advised courtroom.
Subsequent steps
Braun is scheduled to return to courtroom on March 6 for sentencing submissions, nevertheless the choose stated he will not be able to impose the precise sentence that day.
Braun, now 26-years-old, stays in custody, the place she’s been since her arrested in April.
