Sexual assault conviction for Canadian who sabotaged condoms

A man in Novia Scotia has been convicted of sexual assault after poking holes in his girlfriend’s condoms with a pin in a furtive attempt to get her pregnant.

Their relationship was on the rocks, and the man, Craig Jaret Hutchinson, now 41, thought a pregnancy might save the relationship, CBC reports.

The woman did become pregnant in September 2006. She had an abortion and left Hutchinson. After the break-up, Hutchinson told her in text messages and phones calls that he had damaged the condoms. "I wanted a baby with you so bad I sabotaged the condoms so now they are not safe," he said in one message, the QMI Agency reports.

The ex-girlfriend, whose identity is protected by court order, called the police and Hutchinson was charged with aggravated sexual assault.

In 2009, Hutchinson was found not guilty by Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Gerald Moir, who ruled that although his actions were fraudulent and “dastardly,” they did not constitute a sexual assault, the CBC reports.

However, the Novia Scotia Court of Appeal won a new trial. This time, the woman successfully argued that she had not consented to sex with damaged condoms.

According to the QMI Agency:

In a 2-1 court of appeal decision, the judges ruled Hutchinson endangered the life of his ex-girlfriend because of an unwanted pregnancy and a resulting abortion that can pose health risks.

Hutchinson will be sentenced in December, the CBC reports.