Woman sentenced for assaulting boyfriend in Onanole

A 23-year-old woman convicted of assaulting her boyfriend on three separate occasions this summer in Onanole has been given a suspended sentence with one year of supervised probation.

Hailey Bergen pleaded guilty on Thursday to one count of assault between June 6 and Aug. 18 before Manitoba provincial court Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta, who described the woman’s actions as “terrible.”

“I would like nothing better than to never see you back in this situation again,” Hewitt-Michta said.

“It doesn’t sound like a healthy relationship for you, and it doesn’t seem like a relationship that’s bringing out the best in you.”

Crown attorney Reid Girard described the three assaults, with the first incident occurring on June 6 in Onanole, located about 90 kilometres north of Brandon.

Police received a report of a domestic disturbance from the accused, who indicated her boyfriend was intoxicated and threatening her. Officers went to a residence and spoke with a man, who claimed Bergen had thrown a chair at him, Girard said.

Police reported Bergen also appeared to be intoxicated. She was arrested and later released on an undertaking prohibiting any communication with the man.

On July 11, police received another report involving Bergen and the man in the community.

Girard said the two individuals were both intoxicated and fighting while the accused was throwing things outside the man’s residence. The man said Bergen had punched him in the neck after pushing him on the ground onto broken glass from a window she smashed with a golf club.

She was arrested and released that day on conditions not to contact the victim, abide by a curfew and pay $500 if she violated the court order.

More than a month later, on Aug. 18, emergency medical services requested police assistance in dealing with an incident at Onanole’s Southgate Motor Inn and Hotel bar for a report of a woman who had been assaulted and was hiding in the bathroom.

When police arrived on scene, paramedics said the woman identified as Bergen had left the bar. Officers spoke with patrons and employees, who said Bergen had been in the bathroom for 20 minutes, had a drink at the bar and appeared uninjured, Girard said.

“She was not seen with the male who had reportedly assaulted her,” Girard said.

Police went to the home of the man she had previously assaulted and spoke with him. He told officers Bergen assaulted him and was causing mischief at his residence.

The accused was arrested and released from custody but was later arrested again on additional charges for an unrelated matter and was detained in custody.

“It’s concerning for someone with no record to engage in this kind of repeated domestic violence against their partner,” Girard said.

The Crown and defence lawyer Taylor Neustaeter made a joint recommendation for Bergen to serve a suspended sentence by way of 12 months of supervised probation with conditions to participate in counselling as directed, complete 30 hours of community service and be prohibited from contacting the victim.

Neustaeter said her client was born in Calgary but grew up in Winnipegosis. After graduating from high school in Dauphin, she pursued a career in marketing and business management.

“She recognizes the circumstances of these offences, and she does recognize that the counselling and that the programming requirements for her probation will be extremely helpful for her,” Neustaeter said.

The accused acknowledges her mental health may have played a role in her involvement in the criminal justice system, she said.

Hewitt-Michta accepted the joint recommendation and told Bergen, who appeared in the prisoner’s box in court, that she hopes the sentence is a “wake-up call.”

“You deserve to have a better life than I suspect the one that you’ve been living in this relationship.”

» tadamski@brandonsun.com