The accused attended the victim’s residence, intoxicated, to remove his belongings after their relationship ended. He then violently assaulted the victim, confining her for several hours, destroying property after breaking into the residence, and threatening to kill the victim’s dog. Their 19-month-old child was present during this incident.
The accused was convicted of several offences, including assault causing bodily harm, assault with strangulation, sexual assault, forcible confinement, break and enter, mischief, and uttering threats, including threats to an animal. At sentencing, the court emphasized the seriousness of the violence, the abuse of trust in an intimate partner context, and the significant psychological harm to the victim. The court imposed a global sentence of 48 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of probation, with credit for time served.
This case demonstrates that threats against animals can be treated as part of a broader pattern of coercive control and intimate partner violence, as in the violence link, and that courts may consider such threats when assessing an offender’s conduct and determining an appropriate sentence.
https://canlii.ca/t/k7d20