Northern Ont. man loses guns in sexual assault case plea deal
A northern Ontario man accused of attacking and sexually assaulting a woman in the Town of Cobalt has taken a plea bargain and is avoiding jail time.
The plea and sentencing hearing was held Tuesday morning by online video with Justice Julie Richard presiding in Haileybury court.
Gregory Bate was originally charged with sexual assault and two counts each of assault and careless storage of a firearm and ammunition.
Instead of going to a jury trial for two weeks starting June 3, Bateman pleaded guilty to harassing communications and unsafe storage of firearms on Tuesday in a joint submission with the Crown.
As a result, the assault and sexual assault charges were dropped.
The bald man from Cobalt, Ont., appeared by video from a room in his lawyer's office wearing a pink button-up dress shirt and a dark-coloured sports coat.
In the agreed statement of facts, the court heard he made repeated phone calls to the victim leaving some derogatory and threatening voice messages between April 1, 2019, and May 15, 2020.
When the accused was arrested, police searched his home and found a firearm on a bed with a loaded magazine.
Officers ended up seizing a rifle and shotgun along with ammunition from his home.
As part of his punishment for the unsafe storage of a firearm conviction, he has to forfeit the items seized, pay a $750 fine and is under a firearms prohibition.
He has been out on bail since he was charged.
Richard also accepted the joint sentence recommendation of two years of probation for the harassing communication charge.
Crown attorney James Rumleskie said the victim was consulted prior to the joint submission.
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
The accused may not contact the victim or be within one kilometre of where she is known to be and must participate in assessment and counselling.
Cobalt is a small town on Highway 11 south of Temiskaming Shores near the Quebec border with a population of less than 1,000 people.
Under the Criminal Code of Canada, the punishment for harassing communications and careless storage of a firearm is imprisonment of not more than two years for each charge.
Support for survivors
Confidential and free support is available for people experiencing violence. Call 911 if you or someone you know is in immediate danger or needs urgent medical care.
- Assaulted Women's Helpline 1-866-863-0511
- Fem'aide Helpline 1-877-336-2433
- Talk4Healing for Indigenous women 1-855-554-4325
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
- Timmins and District Victim Services crisis line 1-877-264-4208
- Find more family violence services here
- Why people stay in abusive relationships and how to help them
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
TSB concludes investigation into cause of London, Ont. freight train fire
More than two weeks after a freight train with several railcars ablaze rolled through the heart of the Forest City, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has concluded its investigation.