During a three-week span, Terry Bassett attacked a woman twice and repeatedly ignored a release order requiring him to stay away from her, a judge heard Friday.
The 24-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and four charges of breaching the order.
On Dec. 19, the victim's sister contacted city police to report he had assaulted the woman and she had locked her herself in the bathroom of her apartment, prosecutor Blair Hagan said.
Shortly after 5 p.m. on Christmas Day, the woman advised police Bassett was at her place and that he wasn't supposed to be there.
They argued because he wanted money for drugs.
"He got upset, she called police," and he left, the assistant Crown attorney told Ontario Court Justice John Condon.
"She didn't want to participate in the police investigation."
Bassett was not to communicate with the victim or be within 25 metres of her.
A week passed before the cops responded to another call – a 911 hangup – at 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 2.
When officers arrived she indicated Bassett was no longer there.
The woman told them she had answered a knock on her door and he pushed his way in.
"He was yelling and throwing things around," Hagan said. "He took her cell phone when she was calling 911 and struck her in the face."
The next day, reports of a domestic dispute at her apartment sent police to the residence again.
No one answered the officers' multiple knocks on the door.
The woman showed up and indicated they had been arguing.
"Bassett had left and she didn't know where he went."
Officers took her to a friend's house.
On Jan. 4, just before 11 p.m., there was another 911 hangup where the dispatcher could hear arguing.
When officers arrived and were speaking to the woman, Bassett ran out the back door.
"She refused to provide a statement to police," Hagan said.
The accused was subsequently arrested, held for bail court and has been in custody since then, the court heard.
The Crown and defence lawyer Ken Walker jointly recommended a sentence of time served – the equivalent of just over four months – plus 12 months probation.
Bassett, who had no prior criminal record, repeatedly violated his release order, and over and over again committed domestic violence offences, and on occasion drugs were involved, Hagan said.
For three days in a row, he showed up at her apartment.
Walker noted his client is a young man, who "was arrested and released, arrested and released. He keeps going back and she's not co-operative, but is still complaining,"
When he imposed the sentence, the judge told Bassett "I hope you understand the orders I make today better than the orders from the justices of the peace."
The sequence of the events indicate if he hadn't been confined in custody following his arrest they would have continued, Condon said.
"She's not your property, you don't get to tell her what to do, assault her or go to her residence when told not to."
He then asked Bassett "what would you do if someone treated your sister that way?"
His question was met with stony silence.
Bassett will be on probation for 12 months with conditions that include no communication with the victim and her sister.
He must not be within 50 metres of the woman and can't possess any weapons.
As well, he must take any recommended assessments, rehabilitative programs and counselling for domestic violence and substance abuse.
Condon also imposed a three-year weapon prohibition and ordered him to provide a DNA sample.
"Even if she communicates with you and says you can come to her residence, you can't," he warned the young man.
"Let's hope this is your one and only entrance into the justice system."