BY KEITH LACEY
A man who has a history of beating up the women he?s lived with has been spared more jail time after promising to stay out of trouble.
Assistant Crown attorney Kenrick Abbott wanted the court to sentence George Nowacki Jr., 33, to a five-year penitentiary term after he was found guilty of 10 charges, including assault, threatening death, criminal harassment and breaching numerous court orders.
Admitting he had relationship issues, Nowacki told the told he has quit drinking and will seek out counselling to address problems with anger
management, jealousy and other personal issues.
Court heard Nowacki has been out on bail for more than a year since the domestic violence occurred in January 2003.
These were the 14th and 15th convictions against Nowacki for assaulting female partners he lived with over the past dozen years.
?This is the worst offender...involving domestic violence in this jurisdiction that I know of,? said Abbott.
Long stints in the provincial reformatory system haven?t worked. Nowacki assaulted his latest victim shortly after being released from a long jail sentence for previous domestic assaults, said Abbott.
Court orders demanding Nowacki stay away from women he?s assaulted following prison terms also haven?t worked as he?s now breached court orders 16 times, he said.
?The time has come for this accused to finally be sent to the penitentiary...that is the one thing that hasn?t been tried,? said Abbott.
Justice Yvon Renaud disagreed. He said every case must be judged on its own merits and the Crown?s request for a lengthy penitentiary term in this case is ?grossly disproportionate? to the acts involved.
Nowacki was found guilty following a lengthy trial of throwing a sandal at his common law partner, spitting at her and breaking a pair of sunglasses. He was on court orders to not be near the woman he assaulted.
Renaud sentenced Nowacki to a 20-month conditional sentence. During the first 12 months, he will be under house arrest, accept to go to and from work and to complete counselling for anger management, spousal abuse and substance abuse. He?s also to have no contact with his victim.
During the final eight months, Nowacki will be under a daily curfew between 10 pm and 6 am. He can attend for the necessities of life for three hours every Saturday and can attend church.
Renaud also placed Nowacki on probation for three years following completion of the conditional sentence. Nowacki must continue to access any counseling as recommended.
During the next 56 months, Nowacki is prohibited from consuming alcohol.
?My impression is this accused is serious about addressing his problems and is moving away from his past conduct,? said Renaud. ?It appears to me
Mr. Nowacki is finally getting it right...and shown he is capable of rehabilitation.?
If Nowacki breaches any conditions while serving his sentence in the community, he will be sent to jail to serve the remainder of that sentence, said Renaud.
Nowacki thanked the judge for granting him bail many months ago and allowing him to prove he could stay out of trouble.
?I know you went out on a limb for me...and I worked very hard to try to improve myself,? he said. ?I lost a lot of friends and I don?t have much of a
life...but I?ve seen the inside of too many jail cells and it?s not the life I want to lead.?
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