Greater Victoria man convicted of repeatedly strangling, confining girlfriend

Warning: This story has ­descriptions of violence.

A Greater Victoria man has been convicted of strangling, ­assaulting and confining his ­girlfriend for hours at a time, beginning in June 2018.

Tyler Mark Denniston, 35, was convicted of three counts of unlawful ­confinement, three counts of assault and assault ­causing ­bodily harm to the woman, whose identity is ­protected by a publication ban.

The attacks happened in Greater Victoria on June 29, July 1 and Aug. 11, 2018 and on March 1, 2019 in Ucluelet.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Christopher Giaschi said he found the woman’s testimony to be credible and reliable and corroborated by photographs of her injuries and the evidence of her friends and of two police officers.

During the trial, the woman testified that she was in ­Denniston’s Yates Street ­apartment on June 29, 2018 when she received a text message from a friend advising her not to date him.

Denniston saw the message and became angry and told her to delete her friend’s contact information.

The woman tried to leave the apartment, but ­Denniston grabbed her ponytail, pushed her onto the bed and got on top of her.

He tried to pry her phone from her and bit her forearm. When he threatened to break her fingers, she screamed and let go of the phone.

“After he looked at the phone, he ­straddled her and began to strangle her for about 15 seconds and she was unable to breathe,” said Giaschi, ­recounting the woman’s ­testimony.

When Denniston let go of her, she screamed and he covered her mouth.

He started pacing. He was angry and wouldn’t let her leave for six hours, pushing her back when she tried to get to the door.

After she convinced him to let her go, she took photographs of the marks and bruises on her neck and arm, including the bite mark.

The woman testified that ­during the second attack at Denniston’s Carey Road ­apartment in July, Denniston saw something on her phone that made him angry.

She got up to leave but he grabbed her hair and smashed her head against the hard part of the couch four or five times.

He got on top of her and strangled her until she briefly blacked out. When she came to, he was crying and pacing, she testified.

She tried to calm him, then tried to run for the door, but he tackled her, then locked the door and wouldn’t let her leave. She was in the basement for 24 hours. During that time, he would not let her eat, drink, sleep or use her phone, she testified.

The next day, the woman convinced him to let her text a friend and she sent a safe word — pina colada. Her friend came to the door and she was allowed to leave.

On Aug. 11, the woman was awakened by Denniston ­strangling her. She testified that he had gone to her home and found something that made him angry.

She estimated that he ­strangled her for 30 to 60 seconds

She screamed when he released her and he covered her mouth. She testified that she thought he strangled her again.

Then they started ­fighting over her engagement ring. ­Denniston was going to flush it down the toilet and she tried to stop him, she testified.

However, police arrived at the scene after being alerted by a dropped 911 call. One of the officers looked in the window and saw the two in an emotional conversation.

Then Denniston wrapped his arms around the woman, dragging her down the hallway against her will. The officers knocked at the door and asked what was going on. They called a taxi for the woman and watched her leave.

On March 1, 2019, the ­couple travelled to Ucluelet and stayed at a hotel. The woman testified that she missed a call and ­Denniston took her phone and called the number. A man answered.

Denniston jumped her on the bed and strangled her, she said. When she reached up to slap him, her bracelet cut his eye. They calmed down and went for a walk but after they returned, he brought up the phone call again.

The woman testified that she went downstairs for some air, but he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back. He kicked her on the thigh, then got on top of her on the bed and squeezed her neck with both hands. She couldn’t breathe for a brief time.

Denniston got off her. He was crying, pacing, angry and upset and would not let her leave the room or sleep, blocking the door from 8 p.m. until 11 a.m. ^­checkout.

At the request of Crown ­prosecutor Paul Pearson and defence lawyer Neil Brooks, the judge ordered a ­presentence report and a psychiatric ­assessment focusing on a ­mental health diagnosis, the risk ­Denniston might pose to ­reoffend and an assessment of any treatment that would reduce his risk of reoffending.

A Gladue report is also being prepared. Gladue reports can be used in sentencing Indigenous offenders.

The Crown indicated it will seek a lengthy sentence.

Denniston will remain in the community on bail until his ­sentencing.