Newfoundland bridal shop owner who hung boy on a coat hook gets absolute discharge

A Newfoundland judge has granted Rodney Philpott an absolute discharge for hanging a seven-year-old boy on a coat hook. Photo by Andrew Robinson//St. John's Telegram/Postmedia

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A Newfoundland bridal shop owner convicted of assaulting a rambunctious seven-year-old by hanging him from a coat hook until his face turned purple has been granted an absolute discharge.

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Rodney Philpott, who co-owns a bridal shop in Grand Falls, N.L., was convicted this past summer for assaulting the son of a customer’s fiancé in March 2025.

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“I appreciate it is rare to impose a discharge in a case involving the assault of a child. But the unique circumstances of this offence and this offender satisfy the court that a discharge would not be contrary to the public interest,” Provincial Court Judge Lloyd Strickland wrote in a recent decision.

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Philpott was serving a woman, who had her fiancé’s son in tow while she searched for a wedding gown on March 25, 2025.

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“The boy was hyper and probably a distraction,” the judge said in his Sept. 24 decision.

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Philpott lifted the boy “and hung him by his coat hood on a hanger in the dressing room,” said the judge, who called the act “an ill-considered, misguided continuation of horseplay.”

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“The boy struggled to breathe; presumably the collar of his coat was pressed firmly against his throat.”

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The court heard the child had been running around in the dressing room, “tormenting” Philpott, who was bringing the woman dresses.

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The woman and another adult family member testified Philpott grabbed the boy, turned the hood of his coat inside out and hung him on a coat hook on the wall, taking him down when the child’s face turned purple.

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The boy also testified, telling the court the man who gave the bride the dresses had hung him on a hook, and he felt a pinch on his throat as he was hanging.

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A bruise was later discovered on the boy’s neck.

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His father told the court the boy “had neck pain and missed a few days of school recovering.”

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The boy “has had issues sleeping and has expressed a fear of returning to the mall where the bridal shop is located,” according to his dad.

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The Crown recommended a suspended sentence and probation. Prosecutors also asked that Philpott be supervised by a probation officer, attend counselling, and be prohibited from having any contact with the boy or his family.

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Philpott’s lawyer argued successfully for an absolute discharge. She asked the court to consider the “specific detrimental impact of a conviction. Mr. Philpott would be limited in his ability to gain entry to other countries such as the United States. He routinely travels to attend bridal fashion trade shows.”

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Philpott, 54, “has been a businessman locally and abroad for quite some time,” Strickland said.

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He’s “maintained his innocence,” said the judge. “That is his right.”

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According to Strickland, “the most evident aggravating factor in this case is the age of the victim. If the court is tasked with the responsibility of protecting the public, there must be specific attention paid to the safety of those most in need of protection.”