BELFAST, Maine — A Unity man who assaulted his ex-girlfriend earlier this spring and threw her cellphone hard enough at a window that the window broke will end up spending three months in jail after pleading guilty to all charges.
Christopher Brillard, 31, was sentenced last week in Waldo County Criminal Court to three years in prison with all three years suspended on the charge of domestic violence assault with prior convictions. He will spend two years on probation in connection with that charge, with conditions that include having no direct or indirect contact with the victim, and pay $100 in restitution.
Additionally, he pleaded guilty to criminal mischief, violating a protection from abuse order and violating conditions of release, for which he was sentenced to 90 days in jail.
Maine State Police Trooper Desiree Wuthenow wrote in a report filed at court that she was called to the aftermath of a domestic situation on April 27 at a residence on Route 137 in Waldo.
The victim told responding troopers that Brillard had come to get his belongings off her porch but then broke into her home and pushed her against the wall, Wuthenow wrote.
In a letter written to the judge prior to sentencing, the victim said she believed Brillard did what he did because she had told him she did not want to be in a relationship with him ever again.
She wrote that she felt panicked when Brillard got into her house, in part because he had been sending her threatening text messages.
“Some of the texts I got were, ‘You know it’s only 25 years in Maine for murder,’ ‘Pretty sad I’ll be out of jail in less than 25 years and you’ll still be dead,’” she wrote to the judge. “I was scared beyond belief … My fear is and always will be that I will become a DV statistic and be one of the many that got murdered.”
According to Brillard’s probation convictions, he is prohibited from owning or using firearms or other dangerous weapons and must submit to random search and testing for alcohol, drugs and dangerous weapons. Additionally, Brillard must complete a certified batterer’s intervention program.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TRS 800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.