CORNER BROOK A telephone call by Dennis Allan Rowsell, breaching a court order, could result in additional time on what the Crown attorney expects will be a lengthy prison term.
Rowsell — who completed a six-month prison sentence for six charges, including assaut and uttering threats from two incidents last April and September — will be sentenced today for an aggravated assault conviction in relation to a serious beating of his girlfriend last November.
He pleaded guilty to six charges from that incident including aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, uttering threats, and three breaches of court orders.
Still in custody, he appeared in provincial court Tuesday in relation to the breach of a recognizance. It was set over until today to be dealt with alongside the sentencing decision.
Crown attorney Trina Simms has asked Judge Catherine Allen-Westby to send Rowsell to jail for between 30 and 36 months. Defence lawyer Jamie Luscombe requested a sentence between 22 and 28 months.
The judge also has to decide whether to lift the no-contact order with the female, who wishes to resume her relationship with Rowsell.
Comments like that are not helpful at all - to society or to the victims of violence. Why does she want to maintain a relationship with him? Because he's made her believe that he's the only that will ever love her? Because he - and in turn she - has excused his voilence as being a "bad temper" which he's working on? Because she thinks she can save him? Because she feels she has nowhere else to go? Because she was raised in a society that doesn't take voilence against women and children seriously and perhaps experienced such treatment in the past as well and doesn't believe she deserves better? Because he had an excuse? Because in between the beatings he's the sweetest guy she's ever known and she's banking on that? Because she thinks she can change and be better so he won't hurt her? There are so many possible reasons. Until you know, don't judge. Who does it serve?