Shuswap man jailed for attacking girlfriend, threatened her not to go to police

After a night out having drinks with friends, the girlfriend of Shuswap man Kraig Bergson arrived home after midnight to find her partner in an abusive mood.

Bergson accused his girlfriend of infidelity and demanded to see her phone.

When she refused, he got physical.

The 41-year-old punched his partner in the head and dragged her upstairs by the hair.

Somehow, she managed to get hold of his cell phone and called 911. The line dropped but the operator called back. 

“Tell her that everything is fine,” Bergson demanded of his girlfriend.

“Things are not fine… you… hit me,” the girlfriend replied.

Not long afterwards, police arrived at the door and found the girlfriend had a “goose egg” bruise on her forehead.

There was bruising to her nose and blood on her nostrils and lips. 

While the girlfriend consented to photos being taken, she refused to give a statement to the police and Bergson wasn’t arrested.

However, two days later, armed with a recording of the 911 call with Bergson telling his girlfriend to lie, police arrived at Bergson’s Sicamous home and arrested him.

He was released under the condition that he didn’t go near his girlfriend, who didn’t live with him.

It was short-lived and 10 days later the girlfriend was back at Bergson’s place, having rented her rural Shuswap home out on Airbnb. She also had $6,500 cash in her pocket from another Airbnb booking.

While she was in the shower, Bergson swiped the money and then told her she couldn’t have it back until she called the police and said the whole thing was a misunderstanding and to redact any of her statements.

The situation escalated, 911 was called, and the two left the home only to be caught later on CCTV at a gas station arguing. The footage shows the girlfriend trying to get away, and Bergson grabbing her and pulling her back.

A friend arrived and picked the girlfriend up.

Bergson’s behaviour stayed the same as he sent multiple texts over the next few days saying she had to go to police and retract her statements. The texts escalated into threats of violence.

The girlfriend went to the police and gave a full statement.

Bergson was arrested and charged, and released on bail.

On Dec. 16, Bergson appeared from custody at the Salmon Arm courthouse, having been charged with multiple counts of assault and intimidating a witness.

The court heard that the events took place in December 2024, but even after being formally charged, Bergson continued his abuse.

Weeks later in January, the girlfriend spotted Bergson’s truck on a forest service road near her home. She began having water issues and wondered whether he’d tampered with the water supply.

Bergson contacted a friend of his now ex-girlfriend and said he wanted to meet up with her and sort things out. She refused.

He kept texting and got more insistent and more erratic. 

“Tell her… it does not need to get worse,” one text read.

Then one night in January at 4 a.m. Bergson arrived at the girlfriend’s rural home. She was home with a friend, Mr. Lewis. 

Bergson was completely dressed in black, wearing a balaclava and holding a long taser baton in his hand and broke into the house.

He rushed at Mr. Lewis, and a fight broke out between the two. It appears things didn’t turn out the way Bergson had planned.

He got the “hell beaten out of him,” defence lawyer Glenn Verdurmen told the court.

He ended up with 24 stitches and a broken nose, and there was significant damage to the home. 

The girlfriend left the home and climbed into his truck. Bergson smashed the window to get at her.

“You can hear her on the 9-1-1 (call) screaming and running out of the vehicle,” Crown Prosecutor Danika Heighes told the court.

Bergson was arrested and put back in custody. Six months later was released on bail with electronic monitoring.

While his bail had gone OK, a condition was for him to live with his sister, and when their relationship broke down, she kicked him out and he had to go back to prison.

The court heard how Bergson had had a good upbringing and worked hard. He was employed in the logging industry, owned his own home, and had an 18-year-old daughter.

While he had a previous criminal record, there was a 10-year gap since his last offence. He’d been with his girlfriend for about one year, and had been going through a stage of drinking and using cocaine when the violence against her broke out.

While his criminal record was dated, another partner had also had to get a restraining order against him. 

The court also heard how Bergson had a lack of insight into what he had done and blamed the victim.

“I pick bad women,” he’d told an in-custody reporter writer.

“He was evasive about his drinking and cocaine use,” the Crown said. 

Without a treatment plan, the risk assessment for future violent offences is moderately high, the Crown said.

“Kraig Bergson takes minimal responsibility for his actions and rather presents as being victimized in the offence,” the Crown said, quoting a report.

The court heard how it was suspected that Bergson was bipolar and had likely been self-medicating with alcohol since he was an adolescent.

In a victim impact report, the girlfriend said the abuse had left her fearing for her safety. She’d become withdrawn and didn’t trust people. She’d put CCTV cameras up in her house and found herself regularly checking rooms.

In addressing the court, Bergson said he wanted to apologize to everyone involved.

“I should have dealt with this in a different way,” he said. “I don’t ever want to have to be in front of a judge ever again or in a situation like this.”

The Crown argued Bergson should spend 18 months in jail, of which he’d already served nine months.

However, BC Provincial Court Justice George Levan disagreed and with time credit for time already served behind bars, sentenced Bergson to another 39 days in jail.