FILE PHOTO.

(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

Less than a year-and-half after Vernon resident Reginald Ram got house arrest for assaulting his partner, he was back at her front door at 2:45 in the morning with a cigarette lighter.

In was mid-January and the 39-year-old was ringing the doorbell incessantly.

Inside the home and scared for her life, the ex-partner called police.

She then smelt melting plastic.

Ram had used the powerful torch-style cigarette lighter to set fire to the front door.

On June 7, Ram appeared at the Vernon courthouse via video from custody having been arrested and charged with arson and trespassing, following his arrest that night.

The court heard that Ram had been sending his ex-partner endless Facebook messages earlier that afternoon and she was scared. He arrived at her home and threw snowballs at the window.

He also set fire to a BMW parked in his ex-partner's driveway.

When police arrived they quickly extinguished the flames coming from the BMW's rear light and saw Ram walking off.

He was arrested and a stolen licence plate fell out of his jacket.

Luckily the flames from the front door didn't spread.

He made bail, was ordered not to contact his former partner, and was sent to a recovery home in Surrey.

The court wasn't sure if he left on his own accord or whether he'd failed a drug test and was kicked out, but either way, he didn't stay long.

READ MORE: UPDATE: Vernon pharmacist gets plea deal for manslaughter of girlfriend

Less than two weeks after he'd been arrested and barred from contacting his former partner, he sent her multiple Facebook messages.

Again, afraid for her life, the former partner called the RCMP.

It's unclear when, but Ram was later arrested.

Facing two charges for arson, mischief, theft, trespassing and breaching a court order, Ram pleaded guilty to one arson charge, a mischief charge and for beaching the no contact order.

Defence lawyer Ashleigh Singleton argued Ram should receive a sentence of time served which with pre-custody credit would amount to five months jail.

Crown prosecutor Angela Ross wanted slightly more at five and a half months.

READ MORE: Shuswap pastor won't go to jail for sexually assaulting teen

The court heard how the couple had been in a relationship but in the fall of 2020, Ram had assaulted her.

While on bail Ram had breached his release order and was later sentenced to three months of house arrest for the assault.

Only two weeks into the sentence he breached its conditions. Then, a few days later, he breached the conditions again.

Once the sentence was over he went on to breach his probation a further three times. Every time Ram breached the no-contact order the partner called the police.

Back in 2014, Ram was charged in a case involving intimate partner violence and went onto beach conditions imposed then.

The court heard how Ram was born and raised in Vancouver and was a qualified crane operator. He had four children from a previous relationship who lived with their mother, but he had some contact with them.

He was physically abused by his father and struggled with depression and fentanyl addiction.

"He's focussed on his rehabilitation," the defence lawyer told the court.

The court heard how he had become sober since being in custody.

"It's very troubling this persistent and violent dispute against (his ex-partner)," Provincial Court Judge Stella Frame told the court. "It certainly shows either the relationship itself is toxic or you are toxic."

READ MORE: Kamloops man accused of sexual assault showed a pattern: Sources

The judge said she wouldn't give out a sentence of time served in custody describing his actions as "extremely troubling."

Judge Frame said Ram hadn't previously been given sentences that reflected the serious nature of the court orders he'd breached.

However, while the judge said a sentence of time already served in custody wasn't appropriate, she only tacked another 12 days on to what Crown had requested giving him a sentence of six months jail.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Ben Bulmer or call (250) 309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2023