Judge Catherine Allen-Westby told a young man on Wednesday that he does not need to resort to violence, when talking things through can be a more sensible, civilized way to settle differences.
Allen-Westby made the comment after convicting Anthony Joseph Strickland on two counts of assault in provincial court in Corner Brook. She issued a suspended sentence to Strickland, who is also known to go by the last name Gabbard, and ordered him to serve two-years of probation.
The assaults occurred at two separate times in Deer Lake in October 2017. His victim was his girlfriend at the time and the two were living together.
Strickland, 19, grabbed the woman by the face and arm, shoved her and forcibly removed her from their home in one incident on Oct. 26 and knocked her to the floor during an earlier argument on Oct. 23
Pictures presented by the Crown showed bruising and scratches on the woman’s body.
“It is shocking to see bruises inflicted on a young woman by a young man who considered himself to be her common-law spouse,” said Allen-Westby.
“It is totally unacceptable to treat anybody in that way.”
The suspended sentence had been suggested by the Crown.
Crown attorney Lori St. Croix said while Strickland entered guilty pleas to the charges and had no prior record, the fact the violence took place in the context of a domestic relationship was aggravating.
She said the Crown was opposed to giving Strickland a conditional discharge and felt a suspended sentence was more appropriate and that a condition for counselling should be a part of his probation.
Shelley Senior, Strickland’s lawyer, said the pre-sentence report makes it clear that life has not been easy for her client and that domestic violence has been a part of his life.
She agreed that counselling would be beneficial.
Allen-Westby did make it a condition of his sentence, in particular in the areas of anger management and control, domestic violence and ways to prevent it.
She noted that the pre-sentence report said that Strickland was unsure he would be able to find transportation to the city for that.
Now working in the city Allen-Westby said that should not be an issue.
“I’ll put it to you this way if you have to hitchhike to get counselling, do it. You are only 19 years of age, you need to change your way of thinking.”
Strickland must also comply with a DNA order and is subject to a firearms prohibition for two years.
Strickland still has other charges before the court to which he has not yet entered pleas.
They include two counts of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, two counts of uttering threats to damage or destroy property, causing a disturbance, resisting or obstructing a peace officer and three counts of failure to comply with a court order.
Those matters were set over to Jan. 29.
