A man convicted in April of assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm avoided jail time Monday and was instead sentenced to a lengthy probation.
Dustin Brent Decker was sentenced to 18 months of probation with a series of restrictive conditions meant to avoid further trouble with the law.
Decker was found guilty in April after a full-day trial for the assault, which left his victim with a large gash on her leg and multiple bruises. Decker was dating the woman and the attack came after a long day of drinking at her home.
While many of the facts were disputed, Judge Bruce Garriock ultimately found Decker had, in an attempt to get the woman out of his car after she tried to prevent him from leaving, smashed the woman’s leg in a car door repeatedly.
Decker’s lawyer Gary Smith said it was clear his client apologized right after it happened and was unaware of the injuries he was causing. The young man had never had previous problems with the law and there was no reason to believe there would be any further issues, he said.
Garriock said, while this sort of attack could easily attract a jail term, it was possible for Decker to turn himself around and emphasized his relative youth and lack of record.
He did emphasize to Decker the lasting damage he had caused.
“This is something that will have a long-lasting impact on the victim.”
Under the terms of his probation, Decker will have to abstain from alcohol, take any counselling his probation officer directs and complete 60 hours of community service work. He can also have no contact with the woman during that time.
A British Columbia man was sentenced to the 22 days he had already served in jail for trying to get his belongings back from a home he was staying in by kicking in the front door.
Sergio Simon Yarwood, pleaded guilty to mischief Monday and was handed the time-served sentence.
Yarwood came from British Columbia for a try-out with an Edmonton amateur football team and got into a disagreement with the person he was staying with.
After the person threw him out, he tried to force his way back into the house to collect his belongings, significantly damaging the door and doorframe.
Crown prosecutor John Donahoe said the time Yarwood had already served was sufficient to cover the crime, especially in light of the fact Yarwood had no criminal record.
While he doesn’t have a record, Donahoe told the court he faced more serious charges in his home province and on behalf of authorities there, asked that he be held for six more days so he can be transported back there to face charges.
