A man who assaulted eight spouses over time has been sentenced to five years in prison for hitting and strangling his last girlfriend in front of his children, and then must wear a bond bracelet while on parole.
“He expresses remorse and regret, but sincerity is difficult to measure as the defendant is a repeat domestic violence offender. I cannot rule out that this is a mea culpa […] to obtain clemency from the court,” Judge Ann-Mary Beauchemin acknowledged on Wednesday.
Raymond Champagne was subsequently sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated assault that endangered his spouse’s life and to making death threats at the Saint-Hyacinthe courthouse.
In front of his children
In January 2021, his victim “really believed she was going to strangle herself in front of her own children,” the judge reported. The woman’s identity is protected by a publication ban.
During a dinner with some friends, Champagne, who was very drunk, began to become aggressive and violent. Around 9:30 p.m., the guests decided to leave the house in Saint-Damase, Montérégie.
The 46-year-old repeat offender continued to attack his wife by insulting and hitting her.
“He throws her on the ground and tries to strangle her. He grabs her by the neck, gets her out of bed and drags her into the kitchen. […] He uses both hands by squeezing her neck to strangle her, telling her he is capable of killing her and adding words like, “How long should I let you live?” he summarized judges together.
Terrible
Completely drunk, he vomited champagne before falling asleep on the living room floor. It was then that his wife managed to call for help. When they arrived, the police noticed that she had multiple rashes all over her body.
The victim, who had just moved in with her then-lover, told the court about the scars these “terrible and catastrophic” events had left on her life.
“She has been waiting for months for help from IVAC to support her and her daughters – aged 3 and 8 at the time of the incident – did not have access to it. She had to stop working for a year and a half. She calls post-traumatic stress […] Rollercoaster of difficult feelings, anger, guilt, trouble sleeping,” Judge Beauchemin listed.
Raymond Champagne has a serious criminal past. Since the age of 18, he has assaulted or abused no fewer than eight spouses and repeatedly violated his probation terms.
“This demonstrates a history of disregard for the safety of those close to him,” the judge said.
Not a long term offender
I, Isabelle Morin, Crown Prosecutor, had also asked for an opinion to determine whether the man might inherit the unenviable label of dangerous or controlled criminal. In his report, however, the psychiatrist did not consider the criteria to be met.
Taking preventive detention into account, he still has 18 months to serve to date. Upon leaving prison, Champagne must wear an anti-reconciliation bracelet during his three-year probation and must not come within three miles of his ex-spouse.
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