A man from the Beaufort Delta Region was sentenced on Dec. 11 to three months in jail for committing a domestic assault that his children witnessed. 

The man, who SA国际影视传媒 is choosing not to name in order to protect the victim, assaulted his partner in July 2019 over a dispute where he claimed she had been cheating on him. 

The offender kicked and punched the woman, dragging her by the hair into their living room, where he continued to assault her in the presence of their four children SA国际影视传媒� the youngest of whom was only four months old at the time. The dispute escalated to the point where the offender threatened to kill the woman during the attack. He also threatened physical harm again after the attack if she told anyone of the assault.

The woman called the a couple days later. She revealed that the beating continued over two days in July. The offender was apprehended on July 16. 

Defence lawyer Jay Bran suggested that SA国际影视传媒渃ustody in this case is not necessary.SA国际影视传媒� Since the man has been in Yellowknife SA国际影视传媒� released on conditions while he awaits his court proceedings SA国际影视传媒� Bran said his client's behaviour is an indication of what he would be like under further conditions without jail time.

If custody is seen as necessary, Bran suggested a conditional sentence SA国际影视传媒� six months of house arrest. 

Bran said the man had expressed sadness and frustration from having spent 17 months away from his family.

SA国际影视传媒淗eSA国际影视传媒檚 missing out on so much with his children,SA国际影视传媒� Bran told the court, adding that his client's separation from his family is SA国际影视传媒渨orse than a jail sentence.SA国际影视传媒�

Territorial court judge Garth Malakoe rejected that submission, stating that house arrest would not achieve the sentencing objectives of deterrence and denunciation. 

Malakoe noted that the man spent one day in jail for an assault against the same victim in June 2018. The probation order that followed the first offence was for one year. It would have expired in June 2019, one month before the offence that brought him to court again on Dec. 11. 

SA国际影视传媒淎 day in jail is often regarded as a flag on someoneSA国际影视传媒檚 record to indicate that the next time theySA国际影视传媒檙e convicted of a similar offence, they will go to jail for a longer term,SA国际影视传媒� Malakoe said. SA国际影视传媒淭his was the same person for the same offence.SA国际影视传媒� 

The judge found it aggravating that the assaults took place over two days, rather than as an isolated event. Based on photographs entered as exhibits to the court, Malakoe noted the assault resulted in bruising from the victimSA国际影视传媒檚 SA国际影视传媒渉ead to toe.SA国际影视传媒�

He acknowledged, however, that the man SA国际影视传媒渉as been subject to harsh conditionsSA国际影视传媒� in being removed from his family.

SA国际影视传媒淚 realize that should influence my stance, and it does,SA国际影视传媒� Malakoe said, SA国际影视传媒渂ut repeat offenders of intimate partner violence is serious. Jail is the only sentence that makes any sense in this case, even applying restraint.SA国际影视传媒�

The court heard that the offender himself had been the victim of assault in his teenage years. He has apparently also struggled with alcohol but has attended Alcoholics Anonymous since the assault. Bran said the man had taken programming when directed and is SA国际影视传媒渨illing and prepared to deal with counselling and treatment to address the things that got him here.SA国际影视传媒�

After his three month sentence, the man will be subject to a 12-month probation order.

One condition is that he is not to come within 20 metres of his victim's residence or workplace and is not to contact her without written permissions from his probation officer. He may contact her indirectly through a sober third party to arrange access to his children.