Jail for Kelowna man who assaulted girlfriend while on bail for assaulting her

CONTENT ADVISORY

An Alberta man released on bail after choking his girlfriend and repeatedly punching her in the face returned on two separate occasions to assault her.

Prior to his move to Kelowna, Denis Victor Gouttin had spent the evening at a casino in Lethbridge with his girlfriend, when on their way back to their hotel, an argument began.

He pushed her onto the hotel bed and put his right hand around her neck, choking her. He then punched her in the face five times.

Gouttin laughed when she said she would call the police.

Her face was swollen and bleeding when police arrested Gouttin outside the casino.

He was granted bail, ordered not to have any contact with his girlfriend and moved to Kelowna.

It’s unclear whether they moved to Kelowna together, but in the summer of 2025, while bound by a non-contact order, he did see her.

On Sept. 30, their meeting got violent.

He started to punch her in the face. He choked her and she almost lost consciousness. He dragged her by the hair and smashed her head on the ground.

Five days later, he did much the same thing.

He pushed her to the ground and put his hands around her neck. Luckily, this time she was able to breathe. She waited until he left and called police.

This time, he wasn’t released.

On April 10, Gouttin appeared in a Kelowna courtroom from custody having pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm, assault by choking, assault and breaching his bail.

The court heard how his girlfriend’s nose was still sore months after the attack. She now has a permanent scar on her eyebrow.

There are also lasting psychological effects.

“She continues to deal with the emotional aftermath, including feeling depressed and anxious,” Judge Cathie Heinrichs said. “She feels helpless and becomes emotional and struggles with concentration, which also impacts her ability to work.”

The judge said his girlfriend believed that if she had stayed with Gouttin, she might have “died at his hands.”

Crown prosecutors argued Gouttin should spend 28 months behind bars, while his lawyer suggested an eight-month prison sentence would suffice.

“In our society, women who experience violence often experience it from their current or past intimate partners. There is a concerted effort in our society to bring awareness to this problem and to change the behaviour of people in relationships,” Judge Cathie Heinrichs said.

The judge said Gouttin struggled with alcohol but had otherwise led a pro-social life and always worked. He will be 40 years old this year and has a 10-year-old daughter.

However, he had a history of abuse in relationships. In 2012, 2018 and 2021, partners all got restraining orders out against him.

A psychological report found he had little insight into his behaviour and minimized it. 

That statement was echoed when he addressed the court.

“I was under quite a bit of stress in Alberta with my work and employment and working for bigger companies. That’s why I came to BC I was hoping to find a job with a little less stress and just a better quality of life here,” he said. “And it seemed like just the stress kept adding up and adding up.”

He continued to say he realized that wasn’t an excuse, and talked about how he needed to move on.

“I don’t wish any revenge or anything or hurt on anything… I just need to move on and focus on myself,” he said.

“Mr. Gouttin has not expressed any level of understanding of the impact of his actions but is focused on his own recovery, albeit important… Perhaps the empathy will come as he realizes the pain and debris he has left in his wake,” Judge Heinrichs said. “Mr. Gouttin has a personal interest in ensuring that intimate partner violence is stopped so that his own child does not find herself in an abusive relationship in the future.”

Ultimately, Judge Heinrichs sentenced Gouttin to 21 months in jail, which, with credit for time already served, will see him spend another year in jail.

NOTE TO READERS: To connect with a victim service program or violence against women program call VictimLink BC at 1-800-563-0808. VictimLink BC provides information and referrals to all victims, as well as immediate crisis response to victims of sexual and family violence.