AN ASSAULT that took place over an illegal drug transaction has netted a man a three month sentence.
Darnell Onyewuchi, 25, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing bodily harm against a woman in Kitimat and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and 18 months of probation to follow by Judge Calvin Struyk Aug. 2.
Onyewuchi had spent 23 days in jail awaiting trial and that amount of time was subtracted from his sentence for time served, leaving 67 days of jail time remaining for him to serve.
On June 8, a Kitimat woman called police there to say she had been assaulted by Onyewuchi, to whom she owed $50 for cocaine, said prosecutor Barry Zacharias, reviewing the evidence before sentencing.
Onyewuchi came to her residence where he punched her in the face, chased her, pulled her to the ground and kicked her in the head, court heard.
Police found her badly beaten with cuts to her face and black eyes, which they assumed meant she had a broken nose, court heard.
They also noticed blood spatter in her residence, court heard.
X-ray and CAT scan results showed a fractured orbital bone, which are the bones of the eye socket, court heard.
Defence lawyer Ken Anderson said his client had some difficulty with drug use and alcohol stemming from a breakup with his girlfriend and other family conflicts.
He noted that Onyewuchi's criminal record wasn't lengthy and didn't have any offences for violence in it.
Onyewuchi is remorseful and wants to start over by completing his education and getting a job, Anderson told court.
He doesn't deny hitting the victim, court heard.
Struyk asked Onyewuchi if he had anything more to say.
“I'd just like to apologize for my actions and let the court know I really want to start over,” said Onyewuchi, adding he'd had time to think about his situation when living in Terrace and Kitimat and he wasn't proud of it.
One of the conditions of his probation is to have no contact with the victim and not to be found within 50 metres of her, any place she is at, or her residence.
A charge of break and enter and commit indictable offence was stayed by the prosecution.