A young man has been ordered to spend two years in prison for raping and beating his “naive” girlfriend earlier this year in Merritt, then doing it all again the next day.
The 21-year-old man cannot be named under a court-ordered publication ban put in place to protect the identity of his victim. He was sentenced in B.C. Supreme Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to a single count of sexual assault.
The incidents took place over two days in March. Court heard the man hit the victim, then forced her into a bathroom, strangled her and raped her on March 18. The following day, he punched her in the face, choked her and raped her again.
The victim reported the incidents to police on March 22. The man admitted the allegations to Mounties on the same day.
Crown prosecutor Tim Livingston described the victim as “quite naive.” He said the man maintained control over her social media and bank accounts.
Defence lawyer Joe Killoran said the man is addicted to drugs and alcohol and believes he has undiagnosed medical issues.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Baljinder Kaur Girn went along with a joint submission for a prison sentence of two years less a day.
The man will also be required to submit a sample of his DNA to a national criminal database and register as a sex offender for the next 20 years.
