Brodie Lyle Brooks pleaded guilty to harassing his ex-girlfriend through incessant calls, emails and requests to her social media accounts while under an order not to contact her
A Victoria man who pleaded guilty to harassing his ex-girlfriend through incessant calls, emails and requests to her social media accounts while under an order not to contact her was released from custody this month, after being sentenced to the two months he had already spent incarcerated.
Brodie Lyle Brooks, 31, received a 60-day sentence for criminal harassment, to be served concurrently with 30 days for breaching the no-contact order.
Brooks had been in custody for 65 days at the time of his sentencing hearing in provincial court on June 5, leading to his release. He is under a 12-month period of probation, which comes with conditions, including a continued no-contact order against the woman he harassed.
Brooks’ ex-girlfriend, who theTimes Colonistis not identifying, reported to police that between January and March this year, Brooks repeatedly contacted her from unknown and blocked numbers, while already under an order not to contact her, Crown prosecutor Heather Burley said at the sentencing hearing.
The woman received emails with photos of her apartment and her vehicle from Brooks, who was under electronic monitoring that showed he had driven past her home multiple times, Burley said.
Brooks was arrested on April 2 and found in possession of a phone with internet access, contrary to his conditions, Burley said. He was detained on April 10 and remained in custody until his sentencing.
Burley read an emotional victim-impact statement from the woman, who attended the virtual hearing.
“I have lived in a constant state of fear and anxiety, and the emotional distress of constantly being worried for my safety and for the safety of my young daughter has disrupted every single part of my daily life,” she said.
The woman said she has had panic attacks and trouble sleeping, and lives in a constant state of heightened awareness as a result of the harassment.
She said she is in trauma therapy and has been prescribed medication to cope with her fear. Fatigue leaves her so exhausted and disoriented that she has been forced to take a medical leave from work, affecting her income and sense of identity, she said.
The years-long ordeal has affected all of her personal relationships, she said. “I lost more than a few friends because they saw and heard about the constant abuse and increasingly dangerous behaviour I was subjected to and became afraid for their own safety.”
The “most devastating and painful” aspect of the harassment has been the impact on her child, who was two when the ordeal began, she said. She said she and her daughter were forced to move out of their home and into protective housing.
“And even there, we were not safe. We should not have to live this way. My little girl deserves better than this,” she said. “She deserves a mother who is able to be present and engaged, who isn’t afraid to go out in public with her and take her to the park. She deserves a mother who isn’t always looking over her shoulder and who isn’t always fearing for her life and safety.”
She said it’s hard to see an end to the abuse, “because it is painfully obvious that the imposed conditions and restrictions provided absolutely no protection to me whatsoever.”
Brooks, appearing at the virtual hearing from custody, listened to the statement with his head bowed, brow furrowed and hands clasped in his lap.
Brooks also pleaded guilty in January to one count of defrauding 14 people of more than $5,000 and a breach of his conditions. He is expected to be sentenced at a future date.
The fraud charge stems from an investigation by Saanich police into allegations he swindled nearly $200,000 from victims he met through dating apps. The woman Brooks harassed is not one of the fraud victims.
His bail conditions on the fraud charge include a curfew between 9 p.m. and 4:30 a.m., with some exceptions.
He is prohibited from having a computer or cellphone with internet, except for virtual court appearances. He is also prohibited from having a cellphone with data and from making any personal loan agreements or borrowing money.
Brooks had a job as a sheet metal worker in Duncan before his incarceration and can return to that work, his lawyer, Declan McGovern, said at the hearing.
He hopes to save as much money as possible to repay his fraud victims ahead of his sentencing, McGovern said.
Brooks ran into financial issues several years ago, falling into “significant debt” and drug dependence, which led him to begin defrauding people through a dating-app scheme, McGovern said.
Brooks claims the harassment is a two-way street, saying he and his friends and family have received spam calls and demands for money believed to come from the woman, McGovern said.
The woman adamantly denies that, Burley said.
Three other charges that McGovern called “hotly contested” were stayed during the sentencing hearing.
Judge Carmen Rogers told Brooks he is “awfully lucky” that his parents have agreed to pay a surety if he doesn’t follow his bail conditions, despite the fact that he has already put their money at risk by violating conditions.
Most people who appear before the judge do not have that level of support, she said.
“So I hope you respect that. No parent wants to be in the position of having to come down to the courthouse to deal with their adult child,” she said.
Brooks told the court he is “humbly sorry” for his actions. “I got really tied up in a toxic relationship. I lost my mental health. I fell back into drug abuse,” he said.
Since being incarcerated, he has been participating in programs to improve his mental health and address his substance use, he said.
Brooks said he decided to plead guilty because he wants to move forward and better his life, he said.
“I’ve been focused on making things right when it comes to the fraud allegations, because paying these people back means more to me than anything, because it’s about doing the right thing and owning my mistakes.”
He broke down in tears, saying his dog was put down shortly after he was detained and his parents are upset.
“I have made a mistake, and I need to own up to it, and I am sorry.”
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