(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

Retired teacher Christopher Todd Powers couldn't comprehend that his 30-year relationship had come to an end.

And instead of accepting the painful reality, the 63-year-old Vernon resident began stalking his ex.

He'd sit in his car outside the home where she lived with her new partner and regularly drive past. He left endless voicemails and emails.

In total, 3,540 emails were sent.

"You broke me" was the sentiment.

The situation came to a head after he waited in the parking lot of a grocery store for an hour for her to come out.

When he saw her walking out of Butcher Boys and heading to her car he blocked her path. He wouldn't let her get in her car and tried to snatch her cell phone from her. Luckily, a passerby stepped in.

Today, Feb. 18, wearing his red prison garb, Powers appeared in court via video from custody, having plead guilty to criminal harassment.

Powers has no prior criminal record, but after being arrested and charged for criminal harassment and making harassing communication Powers still continued to stalk his ex.

He left multiple long rambling voice messages saying he wanted to get back together.

Powers was arrested for breaching the no-contact order but after being released continued his harassment.

He once sent a letter reminiscing about a vacation in Hawaii which contained three dried flowers. His ex didn't open it and gave it straight to the RCMP.

Ultimately, he was taken into custody and denied bail. He's been behind bars now for almost three months.

In January, both Crown and defence lawyers presented a joint submission, which put forward a sentence of house arrest.

Judges in Canada have to accept joint submissions unless it would "put the administration of justice into disrepute," and in an usual move, Judge David Patterson rejected it.

At the time, the judge said house arrest was a "licence to re-offend."

The lawyers were back in front of Judge Patterson two weeks later, proposing that Powers wear an electronic bracelet for his house arrest.

However, spotty cell service meant the bracelet might not work properly and the judge again rejected the sentence.

"In my mind, an actual jail sentence in the nine months to two years... was appropriate," Judge Patterson told the court.

In a victim impact statement, the ex said how the last 15 to 20 years of their relationship had been "rocky" and full of "verbal and emotional abuse."

Powers blamed his ex and told her she was at fault for causing all the problems in their relationship. She described it as "decades of brainwashing."

However, while the relationship was bad, the harassment was worse.

"Because of Todd's stalking behaviour of waiting for me at the end of the day at my places of work, leaving copious numbers of texts, emails, and voice messages, repeatedly driving by my residence and that of my partner's residence, and following me without my knowledge, I am now hypervigilant," she said in the statement. "I look out all the windows of my apartment before going to my car, and I scan parking lots before parking my car to shop. I don't shop at my preferred stores, and when I do, I make sure that odd, unusual times to lessen the chance of... running into him."

She said she knows he will not become violent, but he does not, and would not stop.

Powers accused his ex of being cold and uncommunicative, but she said she had become that way as a way of coping.

She'd left him on numerous occasions but always minimized his behaviour and went back.

The court heard how Powers suffered from obsessive–compulsive disorder and had had counselling and medication but it hadn't worked. A psychological report said he lacked insight and struggled to admit fault.

However, he said he was willing to start counselling and remained hopeful for the future that he would get his obsessive-compulsive disorder in check.

The judge said while many stalkers weren't violent, they were unpredictable, and that unpredictability created fear.

The lawyers stated they now had proper electronic monitoring and argued Powers should now do house arrest.

And with a "high level of trepidation" Judge Patterson agreed.

"I do so with grave concerns about the safety of the victim... (and) I take some comfort in knowing that Mr. Powers will continue to seek psychological help," the Judge said.

Judge Patterson sentenced Powers to 14 months of house arrest, followed by 18 months of probation.

During that time, he has to register any phone number and email address with his probation officer and undergo counselling.

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