Three years for mug assault

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

A South Okanagan man was sentenced to three years behind bars on Thursday for seriously assaulting a man at a Penticton home in March.

Judge Meg Shaw handed down the decision after hearing submissions in the John Szanto case from Crown counsel John Swanson and defence lawyer Bob Maxwell.

According to Shaw, on March 14, 2015, a group of people gathered at the residence.

Szanto, who had consumed alcohol and drugs, misinterpreted a look from another man and struck him on the side of his face with a mug and punched him in the head. 

The victim was seriously injured and was taken to Penticton Regional Hospital.

Szanto is 33, married, with three kids. He is also dealing with a charge of kidnapping with another co-accused, unrelated to this matter. He has a serious criminal record, including prior assaults.

Shaw said Szanto blatantly attacked an individual unknown to him for no discernible reason.

Meanwhile, the victim worries about further unprovoked attacks, and the scarring on his face creates problems in finding employment.

Szanto was handed a three-year jail sentence and a prohibition on firearms for life.

In the separate case, Szanto faces charges of kidnapping and assault stemming from an incident on May 21 in which a Penticton man was kidnapped in the early morning hours. The victim was found in a ditch on Shingle Creek Road with a broken leg and restraints on his hands.

Early in the investigation, four suspects were quickly identified including Szanto. A fifth man was arrested and released without charge, pending further investigation.

According to his lawyer, he had turned himself in on the March assault and was out of custody when he was involved in the kidnapping.