By Taylor MacPherson

Sandy Bay man sentenced for domestic assault

Sep 26, 2017 | 2:00 PM

A young man from Sandy Bay was given a six-month sentence for choking his partner during an incident of domestic violence.

Jonathan Bear, 24, was arrested in the northern community Sept. 21 after his partner made a 9-1-1 call and told police Bear assaulted her. Crown Prosecutor Gail Douglas said Bear demanded the couple’s babysitter return the payment she had just received and threatened to break her television. A fight ensued between Bear and his partner, Douglas said, which ended with Bear choking the victim.

“She could barely breathe,” Douglas said, noting the babysitter was extremely frightened and hid from Bear with the couple’s child during the incident. When Bear was arrested, Douglas said police learned he was out on a conditional discharge following an alleged assault on the same woman.

Defence lawyer Terra Lennox-Zepp said Bear was trying to remove his partner from the home by pushing her neck, and did not intend to harm her. Bear wants treatment for his anger and addiction issues, she said, and was even scheduled to undergo an alcohol assessment before Sandy Bay was evacuated due to wildfires.

Bear, who pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm, uttering threats, and failing to comply with a probation order, was given a six-month conditional sentence order based on a joint agreement between the Crown and defence. His sentence includes a condition prohibiting him from having any contact with the victim or the babysitter, and he will be required to attend counselling.

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Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews