A disgraced Charlottetown educator guilty of criminal harassment wept in court as he apologized for his harmful actions.
Gregory Campbell, 51, told provincial court judge John Douglas he was extremely sorry for the hurt he caused his former girlfriend.
"I truly loved the victim,'' he said, his voice cracking with emotion.
"I would have done anything for her. She was my best friend.''
Campbell pleaded guilty earlier this year to two counts of criminal harassment, one for repeatedly communicating with the complainant after the relationship had ended and another for repeatedly following her.
His lawyer argued Campbell should receive a conditional discharge.
The Crown is seeking jail time in the range of three to four months.
RELATED: Court hears two more women allege vice-principal harassed them
Campbell told the court he has lost his job as vice principal of Stonepark Intermediate School in Charlottetown and has also lost his part-time job doing surveillance work.
The Crown noted it believed Campbell still has his teaching position. Campbell refused to enlighten the court on his status as a teacher.
Hel had been teaching health to Grade 9 students, including a healthy relationship component.
Campbell, who will be sentenced April 29, made the most of his opportunity to speak at the conclusion of what has been a drawn-out trial despite Campbell entering guilty pleas on both criminal harassment charges in January.
He blamed media coverage of his trial for causing him and his victim, among others, ongoing stress. More importantly, he acknowledged the wide-ranging harm caused by his harassment.
"I'm ashamed of my actions,'' said Campbell.
"What I have done has had far reaching consequences. I am accountable for my actions.''
"In summary,'' he concluded, "I should have known better.''
The victim testified at trial that she was in an on-again, off-again relationship with Campbell, but when it ended he followed her, sent her numerous texts daily and drove by her apartment often. The woman said Campbell had made her life "a living hell.''
Campbell's lawyer, Peter Ghiz, argued in his closing that people talk after they break up "to see if they are going to stay with that status.''
He noted that the vast majority of the messages Campbell sent to the complainant were attempts to reconcile and to state his love for her.
However, there were also some angry, profanity-laden texts.
Inexplicably, Ghiz did not touch on Campbell's constant following of the victim that in one instance saw him hop in the victim's car.
Ghiz categorized the nature of Campbell's offences as "low end'' adding the defendant accepts responsibility for his actions.
"Mr. Campbell is not a danger to the community...and there is no danger to the complainant,'' said Ghiz.
"He made a mistake.''
Crown attorney Valerie Moore said she would leave it to the court's discretion to determine if Campbell is at risk of harassing the victim or other women in the future.
Moore also stressed Campbell's actions were far more serious than Ghiz would have the court believe.
"It's not as if it's a one-time incident,'' she said.
"Well, the victim went through quite an ordeal.''
A disgraced Charlottetown educator guilty of criminal harassment wept in court as he apologized for his harmful actions.
Gregory Campbell, 51, told provincial court judge John Douglas he was extremely sorry for the hurt he caused his former girlfriend.
"I truly loved the victim,'' he said, his voice cracking with emotion.
"I would have done anything for her. She was my best friend.''
Campbell pleaded guilty earlier this year to two counts of criminal harassment, one for repeatedly communicating with the complainant after the relationship had ended and another for repeatedly following her.
His lawyer argued Campbell should receive a conditional discharge.
The Crown is seeking jail time in the range of three to four months.
RELATED: Court hears two more women allege vice-principal harassed them
Campbell told the court he has lost his job as vice principal of Stonepark Intermediate School in Charlottetown and has also lost his part-time job doing surveillance work.
The Crown noted it believed Campbell still has his teaching position. Campbell refused to enlighten the court on his status as a teacher.
Hel had been teaching health to Grade 9 students, including a healthy relationship component.
Campbell, who will be sentenced April 29, made the most of his opportunity to speak at the conclusion of what has been a drawn-out trial despite Campbell entering guilty pleas on both criminal harassment charges in January.
He blamed media coverage of his trial for causing him and his victim, among others, ongoing stress. More importantly, he acknowledged the wide-ranging harm caused by his harassment.
"I'm ashamed of my actions,'' said Campbell.
"What I have done has had far reaching consequences. I am accountable for my actions.''
"In summary,'' he concluded, "I should have known better.''
The victim testified at trial that she was in an on-again, off-again relationship with Campbell, but when it ended he followed her, sent her numerous texts daily and drove by her apartment often. The woman said Campbell had made her life "a living hell.''
Campbell's lawyer, Peter Ghiz, argued in his closing that people talk after they break up "to see if they are going to stay with that status.''
He noted that the vast majority of the messages Campbell sent to the complainant were attempts to reconcile and to state his love for her.
However, there were also some angry, profanity-laden texts.
Inexplicably, Ghiz did not touch on Campbell's constant following of the victim that in one instance saw him hop in the victim's car.
Ghiz categorized the nature of Campbell's offences as "low end'' adding the defendant accepts responsibility for his actions.
"Mr. Campbell is not a danger to the community...and there is no danger to the complainant,'' said Ghiz.
"He made a mistake.''
Crown attorney Valerie Moore said she would leave it to the court's discretion to determine if Campbell is at risk of harassing the victim or other women in the future.
Moore also stressed Campbell's actions were far more serious than Ghiz would have the court believe.
"It's not as if it's a one-time incident,'' she said.
"Well, the victim went through quite an ordeal.''
