B.C. Man Who Held and Assaulted Ex for 12 Hours Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison

A B.C. man who violently confined and assaulted his ex-partner over a harrowing 12-hour period has been sentenced to six years in prison, with credit for time already served.

Jarret David Lautsch, of Enderby, B.C., pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including unlawful confinement, sexual assault with a weapon, uttering threats, and assault with a weapon. The sentence was delivered in a Salmon Arm courtroom last week. Lautsch waived his right to a trial.

“This was an attack on an intimate partner for about 12 hours, at a place that was supposed to be safe for her,” said Judge Jeremy Guild. “It involved threats of death, rape, and physical harm — not only to the victim, but to their child and broader family.”

The survivor, referred to as C.L. due to a publication ban, had recently left a shelter where she was living after a prior, unreported incident of abuse. In October 2023, Lautsch picked her up from Vernon Jubilee Hospital, and they spent time drinking at his home. When C.L. declined to be intimate, Lautsch became enraged.

According to the agreed statement of facts, he barricaded the front door with a couch, armed himself with knives, and forcibly kept C.L. in his bedroom. Over the next 12 hours, he zip-tied her limbs, physically assaulted her, sexually violated her, and issued repeated threats to kill her.

C.L. eventually escaped using a pair of hidden nail clippers to cut through the restraints once Lautsch fell asleep. She fled the home, naked and injured, and sought help from a neighbour who called 911. Medical assessments confirmed injuries consistent with blunt force trauma and attempted strangulation.

RCMP arrested Lautsch that morning. In his statements to a probation officer, Lautsch referenced an alter ego named “Jerito,” claiming he couldn’t recall most of the incident.

The court heard Lautsch had suffered childhood abuse and struggled with mental health, including a recent suicide attempt prior to the attack. He had no prior criminal record and showed remorse, which the judge acknowledged.

In her victim impact statement, C.L. described lasting trauma, including PTSD, memory loss, and chronic physical pain. Guild said the effects of the assault were “immeasurable.”

With time served credited at 1.5 days for each day in custody, Lautsch will spend roughly three and a half more years behind bars. He will also be listed in the national sex offender registry for 20 years, must provide a DNA sample, and is banned from owning weapons for a decade.