A Prince George man has been sentenced to 90 intermittent days in jail Friday for a violent assault on a woman he was upset with because she had quit working as an escort when she landed a service-sector job.
Eric Tom Noskiye, 29, left the woman with extensive bruising to her face and a broken nose from the July 2011 incident after she told him she had quit working for a local escort agency to take on her new job.
The woman told police Noskiye slapped and punched her in the face, slammed her head against the ground and a wall, threw her onto shards of a broken mirror, spit in her mouth and threatened to kill her in various ways.
The ordeal lasted for about three hours before she was able to escape the home and call police from her neighbour's home.
Asked why Noskiye attacked her, she said he became angry because it meant she would be on a schedule and couldn't get drunk with him whenever he felt like it.
By that point they had been seeing each other for about three years.
A witness, who left before the attack occurred, said the two had been drinking while Noskiye said he has no recollection of the events although he accepted full responsibility.
Noskiye pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, negating the need for a trial. As a result, Crown prosecution elected to proceed summarily, which limits the amount of time for which he could be sentenced.
Crown had been seeking jail time of 90 to 120 days followed by 12 to 18 months probation while defense counsel argued for house arrest, and if not that, then to serve the time intermittently during weekends.
Noskiye has no prior criminal record and according to a friend, his actions were out of character. It was also noted that Noskiye is gainfully employed, working as a heavy duty mechanic in Grande Prairie, Alta., which will allow him to serve his time at the Dawson Creek RCMP detachment.
Provincial court judge Victor Galbraith said he wanted to impose a penalty as close as possible to a jail sentence without compromising his ability to work, "because I do view this as a very serious matter."
If not for Noskiye's lack of a previous record and current employment, "he would be going to jail for a longer period of time," Galbraith added.
Noskiye must also serve 18 months probation and conditions include no contact with the victim and the obligation to take counselling for anger management, spousal abuse and drug and alcohol abuse as deemed appropriate by the probation officer.
