CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A Dunstaffnage man who hit a woman in the mouth with a beer bottle while he was at a Charlottetown bar was sentenced recently to 45 days in jail and ordered to pay almost $9,000 in dental fees.
Ivor Connor Boswall appeared before Judge John Douglas in provincial court in Charlottetown for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to assault causing bodily harm.
Reading an agreed statement of facts, Crown attorney Lisa Goulden said Boswall was at the Factory and very intoxicated when he bumped into someone.
Goulden told the court that Boswall said he only remembered some of what happened, including shoving with the person he bumped into, and he described himself as an eight out of 10 on a scale of how intoxicated he was.
The victim was also at the bar and tried to intervene when Boswall swung or threw a beer bottle that hit her in the mouth, Goulden said.
She lost some teeth and needed six stitches.
Goulden said a victim-impact statement mentioned the woman had problems with her lower teeth and needed a dental impact.
In total, the cost of dental work already completed and that she still needs amounts to $8,884.70.
Goulden also told the court a pre-sentence report prepared for the case mentioned that Boswall said the fact he harmed the victim makes him sick.
Defence lawyer Jared Kelly said Boswall remembers throwing the bottle but doesn’t believe the victim was the intended target.
Boswall hadn’t thought he had a problem with alcohol before the incident, but it was an “ah ha” moment and he has since cut down on his drinking, Kelly said.
Before hearing his sentence, Boswall addressed the court to apologize for his actions, saying he didn’t mean to do what he did and he was ready to accept whatever punishment Douglas gave him.
Douglas said often good people do stupid things and those actions don’t cause them any problems.
In this case, Boswall’s actions caused someone harm, Douglas said.
Along with the jail time, Boswall will be on probation for one year and must pay $8,884.70 in restitution.
He must also provide a DNA sample for the national databank.
