A case of criminal harassment has resulted in two different sentences for a man and woman from the west coast.
The pair were sentenced in provincial court in Corner Brook on Tuesday following their conviction earlier this month.
The man was sentenced to five months in jail, while the woman was given a four-month conditional sentence to be served in the community.
The man and woman are identified by their initials in the written decision by Judge Wayne Gorman. The decision also does not identify the community where the incident occurred, only to say it is a small town.
The man, DP, had been in a relationship with their victim and had a child with her. After they separated the woman applied for and received an order requiring him to pay child support.
Shortly after DP, 36, and the woman convicted, EC, 23, who he was then in a relationship with and with whom he also has a child, started to harass the victim. The harassment went on from December 2016 to March 2017. It included driving by and stopping at her residence and calling her names.
The woman testified at their trial that the tires on her car had been slashed and the front windshield damaged. She said the name calling also occurred outside a grocery store on several occasions and that EC would regularly engage the high beam lights on the vehicle she was driving if she passed her.
Gorman wrote in his decision that though their involvement in the offence was almost identical, they must be sentenced on an individual basis.
“Parity in sentencing is a significant factor in this case, but there are differences between the two offenders which must be considered.”
For instance, he said, DP was the victim’s former partner and has a criminal record, but EC does not.
In her victim impact statement the woman said she feels stressed and on edge as a result of the harassment.
Following their sentences both DP and EC will each be subject to a probation order for two years. Both must provide samples of their DNA and are subject to a weapons and ammunition prohibition for 10 years. They must also each pay a $100 victim surcharge fine to the court.
