Man sentenced for vicious attack on girlfriend

The most aggravating factor in the case against Paul Maher – who choked, punched, bit and head-butted his girlfriend before chasing her with a knife – is that the woman’s seven-year-old daughter witnessed it all, a judge said Friday.
Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court Justice Donald Burrage stressed a number of times how serious and regrettable it was that the young girl was in the room during Maher’s violent attack on her mother, which happened in the woman's home last September.
“Only time will tell whether there was any psychological damage to the seven-year-old,” Burrage said, deciding the child’s presence would have an impact on the sentence he gave Maher.
Burrage then sentenced Maher to a total of 570 days in prison for the brutal incident. With 488 days credit given for the time he has already spent in custody, Maher has 82 days left to serve.
Maher had been set to go to trial this week on a charge of attempted murder as well as other charges related to the attack on his girlfriend, but instead pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of assault causing bodily harm, along with charges of forcible confinement, uttering threats and breaching court orders.
Maher and the woman had been dating for a number of years, but he was bound by an order not to contact her at the time of the assault. He called her and asked her to come over, and she eventually agreed.
Maher arrived at the woman’s home around 11:30 p.m., severely drunk after reportedly having 15 beer and a shot of tequila. Once the pair went to bed, the woman heard Maher mumbling in his sleep as he nodded off, saying she was jealous and calling her a bitch. The woman told her daughter to get her coat and prepared for both of them to leave.
Maher woke up and pulled the woman back into the house by her hair. He grabbed her and kissed her, then bit through her bottom lip and head-butted her. The woman said the next thing she knew, she was waking up with Maher kneeling over her, and her daughter beside her. Maher covered the woman’s nose and mouth so she couldn’t breathe, and began squeezing her neck until he knew she couldn’t take another breath, then let go before choking her again. He bit her finger, punched her in the face and head, and squeezed and pinched her legs and between them.
“(The woman) thought she was going to die,” Burrage said.
The woman eventually got free and ran, looking back to see Maher running after her with a large kitchen knife.
At some point, the woman managed to call 911.
Maher was reported missing after the attack, but was later located by investigators. The woman was treated in hospital for serious injuries.
No victim impact statements had been filed in the matter, the judge said.
“I’m prepared to recognize, however, that the events of the 4th of September, 2017 must have been traumatic for (the woman) as well as her young daughter,” he added.
Crown prosecutor Dana Sullivan had suggested a jail term of between two and three years for Maher, while defence lawyer Derek Hogan had suggested 16 months, amounting to time served.
Burrage cited Maher’s guilty pleas – which saved the woman and her daughter from having to testify – as well as the counselling he has completed in prison and his remorse as mitigating factors in sentencing.
Maher previously told the court he was sorry for what he had done, apologizing to the woman and saying he wished he could “turn back the clock.”
Burrage stressed as aggravating elements to the case, however, the facts that Maher and the woman had been in a relationship, that the attack happened in the woman’s own home, that it was “vicious and fueled by alcohol,” that he was bound by an order to stay away from the woman at the time, and that the child witnessed it all.
Maher will be on probation for three years after his release, and must participate in counselling, submit a sample of his DNA to police and have no contact with the woman or her family.

Twitter: @tara_bradbury