A Williams Lake man was sentenced to 54 months in prison for assaulting a former common-law partner.
Nikola B. Vignjevic, 38, was sentenced in Williams Lake Supreme Court Friday by Justice Patrice Abrioux.
Abrioux convicted him in September, 2015, of assault, aggravated assault, unlawful confinement and uttering threats following an eight-day trial.
The incidents took place between Feb. 28 and March 3, 2013.
As he delivered the sentence Justice Abrioux related evidence from the trial of separate domestic disputes where Vignjevic assaulted his common- law partner.
“He assaulted her face causing injury to her nose,” Abrioux said.
Another time he handcuffed her to a chair when she would not provide him the password to her cell phone, the judge added.
“Holding a butcher knife he then made threats of cutting off her hand … he also struck her with a metal object on various parts of her body, particularly her lower torso,” Abrioux said, noting as a result she suffered a broken femur and was unable to work for a year while she recovered and now has permanent screws in her leg.
Evidence at trial also showed Vignjevic had a history of domestic violence and had been previously involved with the drug trade.
Throughout the sentencing Vignjevic sat in the prisoner’s box. Several times he became agitated and pounded the walls with his fists.
He had represented himself through the trial and during the sentencing hearing spoke briefly, saying he felt there had been inaccuracies throughout the trial and he didn’t think by speaking he would be furthering himself.
“I am going to continue to help myself by not saying any words,” he said.
“The inaccuracies of the trial were appalling and the inaccuracies of the statement are appalling. Accuracy is not a big part of the court system in this country, federal or provincial.”
Vignjevic also received a lifetime firearms prohibition, an order to provide a DNA sample and was ordered to pay a $200 victim surcharge.
