A man who couldn’t accept a break-up with a young woman which ended with him confining, beating and robbing her was convicted of seven charges Wednesday.
Kenneth Robert Deck, 37, of Red Deer, was jailed for three years by Justice John Gill in Court of Queen’s Bench.
Deck, who has two previous federal prison terms for robbery and drug dealing, will serve another 11 months in jail, Gill ruled.
Deck, who continued to run down the victim even to the very end and cried when he read a prepared statement, was given credit for 25 months in jail since he was arrested Feb. 11, 2009.
The pre-jail time was accumulated prior to Monday when Parliament passed into law a ruling that says people in remand should only be given credit for jail time on a one-for-one basis instead of the generally court accepted two-for-one.
Gill acquitted Deck of kidnapping and dangerous driving but convicted him of unlawful confinement, robbery, assault causing bodily harm, two counts of uttering death threats, harassment and mischief.
Crown prosecutor Murray McPherson sought a global sentence to between five and seven years while defence lawyer Dave Wilson of Sherwood Park sought a sentence of time served or six more months.
McPherson said the 21-year-old victim essentially broke off the relationship with Deck by telling him it was over and not for him to come to her cousin’s home.
Court heard earlier that the victim was forced to accompany Deck on Feb. 10, 2009, in his car while he punched her.
She suffered a cut lip, scratches, cuts inside her mouth, bruises and bumps.
Gill said the facts in the case “were at the low end of the scale in terms of seriousness in context with other (similar) cases.”
He said the confinement aspect was short lasting about 10 minutes.
Deck said he went to the victim’s residence on Feb. 10 in an angry state wanting to talk to the woman.
He then forced her into his car and the incident ended at the intersection of Taylor Drive and Hwy 11A around 1 p.m.
The woman managed to escape and sought refuge with another woman motorist who testified she yelled at Deck to let the victim go when he pulled her by the hair back into his car.
The victim said she had been phoned and harassed by Deck after she moved in with her cousin in October 2008.
During November 2008 he once left 25 messages in one day on her phone mostly laced with threats.
Gill said her victim impact statement indicated she “has been on an emotional roller coaster” since the incident, can’t sleep or eat and has been forced to seek professional help.
A self-professed tough guy, Deck told court if he had really wanted to hurt the woman he could easily have.
He said if he had really wanted to hurt the victim on Feb. 10, his punches could have even killed her.
He said he has one-punched at least two men who spent up to five days each in hospital.
Deck said the victim was a “liar” and the judge should believe him and not her.
Deck acknowledged he had smashed the woman’s car window out on Jan. 23, 2009, and damaged the steering column, as well as punching another man in the face outside the victim’s residence.
jwilson@www.reddeeradvocate.com