Tim Petruk/Kamloops This Week
Kicking in the door of his ex-girlfriend’s North Kamloops apartment after sending a string of harassing texts and phone calls has earned a Sicamous man nine days in jail.
Matthew Kowalchuk was sentenced in Kamloops provincial court.
Court heard the 28-year-old showed up at the Carson Crescent apartment of his ex-girlfriend on Aug. 1, 2014, after multiple attempts to contact her by phone and with text messages.
Crown prosecutor Monica Fras said Kowalchuk’s ex saw him trying to get into her apartment building and refused to let him in.
He later gained entry to the building and began banging on his ex’s door.
“Eventually, he kicked the door in — he broke the door frame,” Fras said.
“Quite extensive force was used to get into the apartment.”
Fras said Kowalchuk’s ex-girlfriend then barricaded herself inside her bedroom with a piece of furniture blocking the door.
Kowalchuk was unable to get into the bedroom and left the building.
His ex, who called police while Kowalchuk was banging on the door, went across the hall to her neighbour’s apartment to wait for Mounties to arrive.
In addition to the jail sentence, Kowalchuk was also placed on a one-year probation term with orders requiring he have no contact with his ex-girlfriend or be within 100 metres of her home or workplace, abstain from alcohol and take counselling as directed.
In addition, he will have to abide by an 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew for six months and pay $462.34 in restitution for damages caused to the apartment door.
Kowalchuk, who had no prior criminal record, is slated to stand trial in July on charges stemming from an alleged breach of his bail conditions in October involving contact with his ex-girlfriend.