PTSD may have played role in assault
Published Tuesday November 25th, 2008
The anger problem that led a soldier to assault his girlfriend last summer may have been aggravated by post-traumatic stress following a tour in Afghanistan, a court heard Monday.
Matthew Charles F. Keddy, 26, of Building D23, Room 218, Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, was in Burton provincial court Monday to be sentenced for a July 13 count of assault on his then-live-in girlfriend.
Judge Patricia Cumming sentenced him to three months of house arrest, during which time he's to remain at home except for work, counselling, medical and probation appointments, church and four hours of personal time per week.
The court heard that the couple had an argument and Keddy lost control of his temper.
He threw a remote at the woman, said Crown prosecutor Paul Hawkins, before shoving her with both hands.
The shove knocked her off her feet, and Keddy knocked her against a door.
The victim sustained bruising to her left arm, a small cut on her elbow and a cracked vertebra, Hawkins said.
More importantly, it's left emotional scars, he said.
The victim read her impact statement in court, noting she's now scared of people and remains angry, sad and frustrated over the sudden change her life took last summer.
She said the hardest part about it was explaining to her son why the man he'd come to see as a father figure was now gone from his life.
Defence lawyer Edward Derrah said experts who examined Keddy believe he might be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
A report filed with the court indicated the accused has always had anger issues but that they've been closer to the surface since his exposure to a war zone.
Keddy is in counselling and taking medication for depression and anxiety, he said.
"What I've done is wrong, very wrong," he said.
He turned to the victim and apologized to her.
"All I can ask for is forgiveness, if anything. I'm sorry."
Cumming said spousal assault is intolerable to society.
In addition to the conditional sentence of house arrest, the judge imposed a 12-month term of probation.
During that time, Keddy is to have no contact with the victim and to participate in counselling programs as recommended.
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He needs & should be provided with more help than counselling sessions.