A man acquitted by a jury of violently raping two girlfriends was sentenced on Wednesday for criminal harassment of one woman and uttering threats to a boyfriend of one of the woman.
A jury of eight women and four men found Michael Sean Myers not guilty of the substantive charges against him in B.C. Supreme Court in Chilliwack on Dec. 14.
Myers was in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster on March 6 to be sentenced by Justice Frits Verhoeven for criminal harassment and uttering threats. He was sentenced to his time served in custody, which amounted to 16 months and 24 days.
He was released from custody and is now on two years probation under strict conditions.
Back in December, the jury concluded there was a reasonable doubt that Myers forcibly had anal intercourse with a woman who was left injured by the act. He was charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm for that incident.
He was also charged with sexual assault and choking to overcome resistance of a second woman. Crown alleged that Myers choked that woman to unconsciousness in order to have intercourse with her.
• READ MORE: Chilliwack jury acquits man of choking, violent sexual assaults of girlfriends
When he was found not guilty on the three substantive charges, the choking victim expressed dismay.
“I am shocked that they found him not guilty on all the serious charges,” she told The Progress in December. “I don’t understand how someone could keep hurting woman like he does, and keep getting away with it.”
There were prior allegations about Myers’ past behaviour towards women, most of which was information the jury was not allowed to hear.
“I think that the Crown counsel on this case did an excellent job, despite the verdict,” the alleged victim said. “[Myers] got to get up on that stand and lie over and over again, but I wasn’t allowed to show the jury evidence that he lied, and there was a lot of stuff I wasn’t allowed to tell the jury.
“I am angry that he gets to get out of jail and just keep hurting woman again.”
The case dates back to 2015, and provided a challenging decision for the jury to make as the women alleged the violent behaviour took place during consensual intercourse. Myers claimed the women consented to the intercourse, they said they did not.
On the choking matter, Myers claimed it was erotic asphyxiation consented to by the woman.
One victim indicated she was told that if convicted of the sexual assaults, Crown was going to seek a dangerous offender designation for Myers.
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paul.henderson@theprogress.com
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