Angry that his ex-girlfriend broke his cellphone, Mitch Don Copas retaliated by ripping her TV off the wall and then assaulted her by shoving her onto the bed.
In Moose Jaw provincial court on July 3, Copas, 31, pleaded guilty to assault and received four months under a conditional sentence order (CSO) — similar to house arrest — followed by eight months of probation.
“It’s a serious matter,” said Judge Daryl Rayner about the assault.
Copas does have a criminal record, with two previous charges for assault and two charges of uttering threats, said Crown prosecutor Rob Parker. This is an indication that Copas has a past history of violence.
Copas’ ex-girlfriend called police at 7:30 a.m. on May 10 to report that he was screaming at her in the house while their children were present, Parker said while reviewing the facts. Copas lived in the basement at the time; they had been in a relationship on and off for the past 10 years.
Police arrived to find Copas’ ex-girlfriend crying and upset, Parker continued. Copas refused to identify himself to police, before relenting and giving his name and date of birth. Police then arrested him.
“(That) morning she was in the bath. He came in to talk to her, dropped her iPad in the water (and) she got upset,” continued Parker. She got out of the tub and they then began to argue. At one point, noted Parker, Copas shoved his ex-girlfriend onto the bed “really hard” and she slammed her head against it. Their daughter was in the room when this happened.
While Copas did rip off the TV from the wall, he was not charged for that, Parker said. However, the action should give the court the context of what occurred.
One of the serious circumstances in this incident is the fact their daughter was in the room during the argument and assault, Parker told Judge Rayner. Copas’ record also shows that he could have received incarceration because of this incident. However, one factor that lessens the severity of the sentence is Copas pleaded guilty to the charge.
Parker then made several recommendations for Copas’ sentence. As part of the CSO, Copas will have to keep the peace and be of good behaviour, report to a probation officer, obey a curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., and not consume alcohol or drugs or visit any place that sells such products.
Under the CSO and probation, the Moose Jaw resident will have to participate in counselling and take treatment for anger management, take personal counselling, have no contact with his ex-girlfriend, unless it is to see their child through a meeting arranged by a third party, not be within 50 metres of her house or workplace, complete 30 hours of community service, and not possess firearms.
“I pushed her; that’s the bottom line,” Copas told the judge. “She smashed my phone, so I pushed her. We just need to stay away from each other, that’s the main thing.”
Judge Rayner accepted the Crown’s sentencing recommendations, noting a CSO was appropriate in this case and was not against the public good.
Moose Jaw provincial court next meets on July 8.
