Teen gets two years for long-term abuse of girlfriend

By Peggy Revell on May 4, 2018.

prevell@medicinehatnews.com @MHNprevell

A two-year sentence was handed down Thursday to a 19-year-old man for months of serious physical abuse toward the girl he was dating.

The abuse took place over an 18-month period, when the accused was 18 and the victim was 16.

The accused was using meth throughout the relationship, and over the time period physically assaulted the girl multiple times by way of such things as kicking, pulling and biting her.

On multiple occasions he would burn her by putting cigarettes out on her skin.

In another incident, he drugged her and put a tattoo on her wrist.

Another incident witnessed by a friend included her jumping on his back to give him a bear hug — at which point he pushed her off, and choked her to the point where she blacked out and fell. On the same occasion, he pushed her into a wall and broke her arm.

He also uttered threats against the girl’s mother and her daughter — although it’s never alleged the abuse occurred toward the child.

Austin Johnson pled guilty to assault, assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon, choking with intent and uttering threats.

Defence counsel for Johnson said he is remorseful and accepts responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty.

Alongside the two years in a federal penitentiary, he will be on two years of probation.

The sentence is about denunciation and deterrence, counsel said, but also allows Johnson to make use of the federal penitentiary system to “rebuild his life.”

“(We) hope this is the last time we see him in court,” counsel said, also noting that the young man has had difficulty in developing and maintaining relationships with people, but has been making “diligent” efforts to rebuild his relationship with his mother.

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