System needs 'pound of flesh,' says defence lawyer at RCMP officer's sentencing hearing

Lawyers submitted their arguments Friday for an appropriate sentence in the assault case of RCMP Const. Cameron Lockhart, during a hearing at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador in St. John's.

A jury found Lockhart, 32,guilty of one charge of assault in November, after beingaccused of assaulting two women in the Bay Roberts area between 2009 and 2011.

Hewas acquitted of a number of other charges.

• RCMP officer found guilty of assault, acquitted on other charges

Crown prosecutor Jason House, who noted there was no victim impact statement for the sentencing hearing, saidthe aggravating factors in the case arethe factLockhartis a police officer, it was a domestic assault. and he was on duty at the time.

The Crown argued Lockhartshould be sentenced to 14 days at Her Majesty's Penitentiary, one year of unsupervised probation anda two-year ban from having a gun.

He also said Lockhartshould submit a DNA sample to a national registry.

House arrest appropriate: defence

Lockhart's lawyer Nick Avis said 14 days of house arrest is an appropriate sentence.

Avis said the assault happened eight years ago, and that his client was much younger then. He added that Lockharthas suffered severe depression as a result of being charged, and has essentially been under house arrest since he was charged.

Avis also said Lockhart is a police officer and the system needs its "pound of flesh," but that could be satisfied by house arrest.

He said the incident didn't happen in public.

Avis also said if Lockhart is not allowed to have a gun, he cannot be a police officer.

He added that going to jail would also ruin his career.

House didn't challenge the request for house arrest.

When asked if he wanted to say anything, Lockhart thanked Judge Deborah Paquette for her professionalism and said it's been a long process for him.

He will be sentenced March 13.