THUNDER BAY - A man who struck his ex-girlfriend’s father with a metal baseball bat was sentenced in Thunder Bay court on Thursday by an Ontario Court Justice.
Peter Beardy, 23, previously pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon and failing to comply with a probation order in connection to an incident last September in which he assaulted the father of the woman he was formerly in a relationship with.
Crown attorney Katrina van Kessel on Thursday, April 2 told the court by audio that police were dispatched in the early morning hours to a residence regarding an unwanted male at their back door. The residence was the house of the young woman’s parents.
The complainants told police that the male, who was later identified as Beardy, had been trying to get the attention of their daughter who was inside the house.
Beardy ended up gaining entry into the house and a physical altercation began between Beardy and the woman’s father.
Beardy grabbed a white metal baseball bat and struck the man. Police later found a baseball bat with a blood-like substance on it, van Kessel said.
The father suffered cuts and bruising to his head. His injuries were treated by Emergency Medical Service personnel.
Officers also determined Beardy had been previously placed on a probation order from 2017 to not possess any weapons.
Beardy’s lawyer, Patricia Vo, told the court her client had been dating his former girlfriend for three years at the time of the incident. The two had gotten into a verbal argument which later resulted in a physical argument with the woman's father.
Vo explained her client expresses remorse and guilt for his actions.
She also explained Beardy faces substance abuse issues with alcohol which has affected his ability to keep employment for long periods of time.
A joint submission presented to Justice Elaine Burton was accepted.
Beardy has spent 200 days in custody and was granted 301 days on an enhanced basis. He was sentenced to one day deemed served, which will be followed by an 18-month probation period which will focus on his rehabilitation.
He was also handed a five-year weapons prohibition.
