Assault against woman means jail

A P.E.I. man, who pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing bodily harm after a woman was knocked unconscious when he dropped her on the floor and she hit her head, was sentenced Friday to 18 months in jail.

Michael Arthur Gaudet appeared before Justice Jacqueline Matheson in P.E.I. Supreme Court for sentencing on four charges including uttering a threat against his former lawyer and assaulting a sheriff at the courthouse.

Gaudet was originally charged with aggravated assault, but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of criminal negligence causing bodily harm.

He also pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a court order not to have any contact with two women.

The court heard that in July the victim was in Gaudet’s apartment when a witness heard him tell her to get out.

Crown attorney Jeff MacDonald said a witness saw Gaudet drag the victim down the hall and drop her.

The victim hit her head, was knocked unconscious and was bleeding from her nose and mouth.

Gaudet left the apartment and the police arrested him later.

MacDonald said the victim remained unconscious until she recovered at the hospital.

While Gaudet was in custody, he spoke to two women by phone despite an order not to have any contact with them.

One of those women was the victim.

During a call with a friend while he was in jail, Gaudet talked about assaulting his then lawyer.

Gaudet went through several lawyers while his matters were before the court and he represented himself during the sentencing.

In another incident, Gaudet spit on a sheriff who was trying to handcuff him. Gaudet spent 214 days in custody prior to his sentencing and the 18 months of jail time was a joint recommendation of the Crown and Gaudet.

In response to the facts, Gaudet told the court he didn’t mean any harm to the woman he dropped.

“More just a dumb drunken mistake,” he said.

Matheson accepted the joint recommendation of 18 months giving Gaudet credit for his time already spent in custody.

Gaudet will be on probation for 18 months after his release, he must provide a DNA sample for the national databank and he will be under a weapons prohibition for 10 years.

He must also pay $800 in victim surcharges.

In a recent story about organizer Margie Villard, the caption for the photograph taken at Home Hardware was incorrect. It said that Ultra Violet was the colour of the year. In fact, the colour of the year for Beauti-Tone Paints is Green Peace.