Cambridge man with history of domestic violence sent to jail

KITCHENER — A Cambridge man with a history of domestic violence was sent to jail for more than a year on Thursday.

“This is his fourth domestic victim,” said Crown prosecutor Brendan Thomas.

In December 2016, Richard Rutsch, 55, and his girlfriend were in his apartment when Rutsch accused her of being unfaithful.

“He struck her on the left side of her head, knocking her onto the couch,” Justice Scott Latimer said in a recap of the case.

“He then straddled her and placed his hands around her neck squeezing, in the vernacular, choking her.”

Rutsch then struck her in the face and said he was going to kill her. “She ... was confined in the residence by Mr. Rutsch.”

His girlfriend managed to escape and made it to her car.

“He followed, preventing her from leaving in her vehicle, and he threw her to the ground,” Latimer said.

“She then walked away and he punched her again, in the left side of the head. She was now walking down King Street toward the Tim Hortons. A passerby saw the altercation and called police. Mr. Rutsch was trying to pull her physically back to his residence, causing her to slip.”

Police arrived and arrested him.

Rutsch has convictions for attacking three other domestic partners. He got a two-year sentence in 2010 for choking, sexually assaulting and forcibly confining a woman.

In the 2016 attack, Rutsch pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm, forcible confinement and threats.

“What is particularly concerning to me is bruising on her neck area, consistent with choking,” the judge said.

Latimer sentenced Rutsch to 16 months in jail, minus three months credit for strict bail conditions he faced since his arrest.