Ex-submariner fined $5,000
A former submariner serving on HMCS Windsor was given a $5,000 fine and a severe reprimand on Tuesday after pleading guilty to assaulting his former partner while they were vacationing in Cuba in 2018.
Rene Rumbolt, who has since left the navy on a medical discharge, was a weapons engineering tech on the vessel at the time of the assault but was on holiday with the woman, who is also a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Rumbolt was facing a charge of assault causing bodily harm at a standing court martial in Halifax on Tuesday, and his decision to admit his responsibility went a long way toward keeping him from jail time, military judge Cmdr. Sandra Sukstorf told him in accepting the joint sentencing recommendation.
“Based on the facts of this case, I can tell you, had it not been for the guilty plea and the significant efforts that you have invested in your rehabilitation, the court would have had hesitation accepting a non-custodial sentence,” Sukstorf said.
“In the court’s opinion, if you will continue to make continued progress in your rehabilitation, such improvement would benefit society and the CAF more than incarcerating you.”
According to an agreed statement of circumstances, the relationship was already in trouble when the pair decided to go through with the trip to Cayo Santa Maria despite the “toxic” level it had reached.
The two spent the bulk of the evening of April 2, 2018, apart and Rumbolt returned to their shared hotel room after drinking a quantity of alcohol. The victim was already there and when he used his cellphone to text another person, she asked him not to text another woman while she was there. He verbally insulted and berated her.
The woman flicked him on the arm, and in response, he got on top of her. He pinned her down with his left arm on her shoulder, brought his face close to hers, pulled back a fist and threatened her, the court heard. She screamed and kicked him off.
Rumbolt left and returned several hours later, more intoxicated, and passed out. She accessed his phone and saw messages Rumbolt had sent another woman with whom he was romantically involved. She then used his phone to text and call the other woman to tell her where they were.
She then woke Rumbolt to confront him about what she had found. He got up and struggled with her, placing his hand on her neck and pushing her to the floor. Rumbolt got his phone back and looked at it. As she was getting up, he stopped her from doing so with his knee. He eventually let her get up and she attempted to leave but he pushed her down from behind and struck her on the left side of her face.
They both then left the room. The victim went to the front desk and the resort security staff helped her gather her belongings and moved her to another room. She inadvertently also took Rumbolt’s travel visa with her.
Later that day, she returned the travel visa to him and talked with him about the previous night's assault. He was again verbally abusive and grabbed her face. She recorded the April 3, 2018, interaction on her phone. She left and had no further contact with him.
She reported the assault to her chain of command before returning to Canada on April 4. She was treated in Halifax with bruising to her shoulders, arms and face as well as swelling of her throat. She also complained of stiffness, aches and headaches.
The woman read her victim impact statement into the record. Through tears, she said she still has dreams of his hands on her throat and hurtful comments still resound in her head.
“I know that nothing can make up for the emotional damage he has caused but please can into consideration what can be done to stop him from hurting someone else,” she said.
The judge commended her for coming forward and told her she is brave enough to recover.
Rumbolt addressed the court before the judge adjourned to consider the joint sentence recommendation. He accepted his responsibility for the assault and apologized to both the victim and his unit.
“My actions that day were uncharacteristic of me and my personality and I have regrets that reach far beyond that morning,” he said.
Rumbolt is 38 and the father of a five-year-old girl for whom he makes support payments. He has completed a bachelor of technology degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland and now lives in Ontario, attending Mohawk College and training in non-destructive testing of aircraft parts.
He served nearly 18 years in the navy on several vessels as a master seaman and accumulated 630 days at sea.
After the court martial, prosecutor Lt.-Cmdr. Derek Schroeder said it was a just result.
“I felt like if he didn't come forward and accept responsibility for the offence that the prosecution evidence was strong and could have led to a custodial sentence,” he said.
“But due to the evidence provided by the defence in relation to both his acceptance of responsibility, his apology, as well as his rehabilitation and ongoing rehabilitation outside of the military, that it was appropriate to go just a little bit lower with a higher fine and a more symbolic punishment in the military.”
Rumbolt is to pay the $5,000 fine in 10 monthly instalments. He is prohibited from possessing weapons and must surrender any he owns to authorities within two weeks. He also must submit DNA samples.
Neither defence lawyer Ian Hutchison nor Rumbolt chose to speak with media after the session.