The offender, a 23-year-old first offender, pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon after attempting to remove his girlfriend from her home using a pellet gun and utility knife.
The incident occurred while the offender was suffering from severe mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and he was motivated by a misguided desire to get the victim into rehabilitation.
The court balanced the competing sentencing objectives of denunciation and deterrence for domestic violence against the offender's rehabilitation, mental illness, and strict bail conditions.
Finding the circumstances highly unusual, the court granted a conditional discharge with two years of probation.
