According to the statements of fact read aloud in court, Saunders pulled Savoie’s hair, pushed her, and hit her with a coat hanger on April 9. They were dating at the time. She was left with bruises and reported the incident to police a few days later.

Judge Lori Marshall granted him an absolute discharge because she didn’t want to prevent him from being “very successful in life.”

Lancelot Saunders, 20, pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend Aden Savoie, 19, in a St. John’s courtroom December 1. Saunders had also been charged with breaching one of this conditions of his arrest for contacting Savoie, but the charge was withdrawn because he decided to plead guilty.

An absolute discharge means that despite pleading guilty, the perpetrator will not have a criminal record and there are no probation conditions.

A Newfoundland man who pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend has been given an absolute discharge in part because his lawyer argued a criminal record would impact his ability to go to university.

The Crown attorney, Jennifer Lundrigan, recommended Saunders be given a suspended sentence with one year of probation, including counselling and treatment for anger management and substance abuse, as well as a firearms ban and a DNA order. Saunders' defence attorney, Candace Summers recommended an absolute discharge or, at most, six months of probation. Summers said Saunders has been on medication for his generalized anxiety disorder and is planning on going to university next year.

“He had a lower grade in his chemistry course and he’s just looking to redo that ...at which time he will be able to apply for Memorial University,” she said, noting he “did extremely well in his advanced math courses.”

Referring to scratches from the fight that were left on Saunders’ arms, she said “it wasn’t exactly a one-sided incident.”

Savoie told VICE she scratched Saunders' arms because he was pulling her hair and she was trying to get away from him. Breaking down in tears, she said “he was so aggravated from taking prescription drugs” that he repeatedly hit her after they got into a fight over her cellphone. Saunders had been borrowing it, she said, and she wanted it back.

On the night in question, she said she was staying over at Saunders’ place because she was fighting with her parents. After he hit her, she left the house for a bit but she came back because she felt she had nowhere else to go. She said he asked her “Are you still going to be pissy about what happened or are you going to act like it’s fine?”