A local man admitted committing numerous crimes of violence, including attacks on intimate partners, when he appeared in a Sault Ste. Marie courtroom last week.
Andrew Nolan, 55, pleaded guilty to 13 of 64 charges on Friday's docket.
The offences occurred between July 2019 and September of last year.
He was convicted of four counts of assault, three counts of threatening, single counts of mischief and break and enter to commit an indictable offence, as well as four counts of breaching court orders.
Ontario Court Justice Romuald Kwolek heard the first assault occurred on July 18, 2019.
A woman contacted city police after receiving a call from her daughter, who said her boyfriend (Nolan) was threatening to stab her.
The couple was arguing, he threw a bong at the victim that struck her in the back, and then slapped the back of her head.
Nolan, who had a knife, told her "to shut up or I will kill you," prosecutor Adrianna Mucciarelli said.
On Oct. 24, 2022 , he showed up at a South Market Street apartment, where he kicked in the door and punched a man in the head.
He then left with a woman, an ex-girlfriend described by a neighbour as "very scared and fearful," the assistant Crown attorney told the court.
At the time, Nolan was bound by a release order requiring him to remain in his Peoples Road residence.
On Sept. 16, 2023, city police were called to a Second Line West business where a woman told staff she had been assaulted.
Her face was bleeding, Nolan threw a planter at her and an employee advised him to leave.
When he left, the clerk locked the door and the accused tried to get back inside.
"I'm coming for you. I'm going to kill you," he said, threatening the woman with whom he had an intimate relationship.
At some point, the victim went to a nearby residence, where Nolan tried to gain entry into the building by breaking a window.
Once again, he failed to comply with a release order requirement that he remain in his home under house arrest.
Prior to that in August, officers responded to a domestic assault call on Bruce Street, where they found an injured victim.
"She was bleeding," and Nolan had threatened he was going home to get a gun and would return to shoot her.
The woman had an eye injury and bleeding teeth, and there was blood on the floor, Mucciarelli said.
She was transported to the hospital but left without treatment.
The victim refused to provide a statement.
On Feb. 25, 2023, Nolan had assaulted another woman and threatened to kill her, the court heard.
The Crown and defence jointly proposed a 20-month jail term, minus the time he has spent in pre-sentence custody, followed by three years probation.
Nolan committed domestic-related offences involving a number of victims, Mucciarelli said.
There is a need "to send a message to the community that this is not tolerated," she told Kwolek.
As well, he made serious threats to kill people on numerous occasions, broke into a home where he assaulted a man and blatantly ignored court orders.
"When he's breaching he's committing further violent offences."
Nolan has a minor record with a 2007 assault conviction, Kwolek heard.
Defence lawyer Ken Walker noted there were 64 charges on the docket and his client had pleaded guilty to 13 offences.
"Virtually everyone involved here had addiction problems," and there would have been credibility issues all around, he said.
Nolan is Indigenous and there are Gladue factors, but the defence isn't seeking a report, Walker told the court.
Kwolek accepted the lawyers' submission.
Nolan has one previous conviction from 17 years ago, then things changed in 2022 when he regularly became involved in the justice system, he said.
Most of the charges are crimes of violence, including repeated intimate partner violence, which he described as aggravating factors.
The accused's guilty pleas show remorse, have saved court time and "I've been advised there are triable issues."
With the enhanced credit Nolan received for the time he's already spent in custody, he has 39 days left to serve.
Kwolek imposed three years probation — the maximum permitted under the Criminal Code of Canada.
Nolan can have no contact with his victims and must remain 50 metres away from them.
As well, he must take any recommended counselling and rehabilitative programs for domestic violence, including the Partner Assault Response (PAR) program, anger management and substance abuse.
Nolan is prohibited from having weapons for 10 years and must provide a DNA sample.
At the request of the Crown, the remaining charges were withdrawn.