A Corner Brook man who had difficulty staying away from a former partner’s property has been sentenced to serve nearly three more months in prison on weekends.
Cory Paul Gough, 39, was sentenced to a total of four months, but was given credit for 33 days after spending 22 days in custody prior to being sentenced in provincial court Wednesday.
It is common for anyone remanded into custody prior to being sentenced to be granted a credit of 1.5 days per each day served.
Gough had entered guilty pleas to seven charges stemming from four different incidents spread out between June 16, 2017 and Jan. 31, 2018. The charges included two counts of mischief for slashing the tires of the woman’s car on one occasion and for damaging doors of her property at another time.
He was later charged with uttering threats towards a couple that was renting the home where the woman used to live. Gough believed the woman still resided there.
During each of these offences, Gough had been under a court order to stay away from the property in question and was charged with breaching the conditions of those orders.
He was charged with a fourth breach after police responded to a disturbance and found Gough had been drinking, which was in violation of his court-ordered conditions.
This fourth incident did not involve his former partner or the property where she used to live.
Alcohol was also a factor in some of the other earlier incidents, the court heard.
Crown attorney Ashley Targett asked Judge Kymil Howe to give Gough between four and five months in prison, noting his tendency to become violent towards his former partner.
His criminal record included five prior convictions for offences of assault, impaired driving, refusing a breath demand, breaching probation and breaching the Family Violence Prevention Act.
Defence lawyer Sandi MacKinnon agreed with the lower end of Targett’s sentencing submission, but asked if it could be served intermittently as Gough will be a new father soon and is currently seeking employment.
Howe agreed with the defence as the remainder of his time to serve was less than 90 days. Still, she hoped the sentence will deter Gough’s concerning behavior towards his former partner.
Howe ordered two years of probation to follow the sentence, during which time Gough can have no contact with his victims and several other people involved in the incidents.
He is also subject to a weapons ban for two years. Given the nature of the crimes, particularly going to his former partner’s house at night while prohibited from doing so, he must also provide authorities with a sample of his DNA.
