To his friends, family, and former clients, chiropractor Marlin Vandermeulen was a kind, dedicated, and respectful man.

To a former girlfriend, he showed a very different side, engaging in demeaning acts of sex and violence.

"It's understandable that she described him as a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," Justice Colleen Suche said Tuesday, before sentencing Vandermeulen to 42 months in prison.

Vandermeulen was convicted after trial last year of seven offences, including sexual assault causing bodily harm, assault causing bodily harm, assault, and uttering threats.

"The events underlying these convictions demonstrate that within an intimate relationship and in a private setting, Mr. Vandermeulen was controlling, sexually demeaning, and easily moved to rage that turned to physical violence, the level of which escalated over time," Suche said.

The charges relate to four incidents spanning six months and beginning in July 2009.

The most serious incident occurred July 30, 2009, when, after an argument at the victim's house, Vandermeulen choked the woman and forced her to perform oral sex. He went on to violently sexually assault the woman two more times before going through her cellphone and computer and deleting all messages between them.

Ten days earlier, Vandermeulen forced the woman out of his house without her van keys. The woman slept in her van and found her keys in some bushes outside the house the next morning. The woman was returning to her vehicle when Vandermeulen beckoned her to the garage and forced her into oral sex.

The woman finally reported Vandermeulen to police Jan. 29, 2010, following a violent argument in a downtown hotel room.

The defence submitted 27 letters of support to the court, several from people who continue to believe Vandermeulen is the target of false allegations.

Suche dismissed a positive report from a psychiatrist who was unaware of the allegations against Vandermeulen or of the court's verdict.

"All in all, I was left with the impression that the report was an exercise in advocacy, not objectivity," Suche said.

Vandermeulen, who has still not admitted his guilt, would have faced a higher sentence had he not already lost his career and livelihood, Suche said.

dean.pritchard@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @deanatwpgsun