Pasquale Morabito

The accused was charged with nine offences arising from three separate incidents of alleged domestic violence spanning from 2013 to 2022.

The charges included multiple counts of assault, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, assault by choking, uttering death threats, and uttering threats to cause bodily harm.

The trial turned on credibility, with the complainant and accused providing conflicting accounts of events.

The court found the complainant's evidence credible and internally consistent, while finding the accused's denials of physical violence and threats inconsistent with surrounding circumstances and his own admissions in a counselling letter.

The court convicted on four counts and acquitted on the remaining charges.

The Ontario Court of Justice convicted Rahjon Ceballo of assault with a weapon based on eyewitness testimony, surveillance video, and police evidence.

The key issue was identity, which was established through a combination of Mr. Tesfamariam’s detailed observations, photographs, and video footage showing the accused wearing distinctive clothing and holding a butter knife.

The court found the accused carried and used the butter knife to threaten or intimidate the victim, satisfying the elements of assault with a weapon under the Criminal Code.