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B.C. man assaults partner, photographs her on the ground crying

Kaljinder Singh Rai had been issued a no-contact order to stay away from the victim.
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Court heard Sept. 28 that Kaljinder Singh Rai broke a no-contact order.

A Vancouver man has pleaded guilty to assault in a case where he kicked a woman in the chest and later took photographs of her as she lay on a Granville Street sidewalk crying.

Kaljinder Singh Rai, 47, was on a court order to stay away from the woman at the time, Vancouver provincial court Judge Patricia Bond heard Sept. 28.

Rai was charged with assault causing bodily harm but pleaded guilty to the lesser-included offence of assault.

Crown prosecutor Daniel Shih told Bond that Rai had contacted the Abbotsford woman asking her to come to Vancouver. At first reluctant, she eventually agreed to his repeated requests.

They went to a bar and became intoxicated, court heard Wednesday.

As they were walking down Granville Street, the woman said she wanted to go home, a discussion that became heated. Rai then kicked her in the chest and she fell to the ground, with several witnesses rushing in to help.

Then, Shih said, Rai took a hat and began hitting the woman in the face. She responded by lunging at him, but fell and sustained injuries to her face.

By this point, she was crying. Rai then began taking photos of her, court heard.

Shih said Rai had breached a no-contact order in communicating with her.

He has previous convictions of assault with a weapon, mischief and a breach of a court order from February, the Crown lawyer said. Those were related to the same woman.

Rai also pleaded guilty to the breach.

Bond agreed a sentence of 60 days in jail was appropriate. Rai has been in jail for 24 days for which he receives 36 days credit; that means he must remain in custody for another 24 days.

jhainsworth@glaciermedia.ca

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