West Kelowna man sentenced to 5 years in prison for violent rape, confinement

A B.C. Supreme Court Justice has sentenced a West Kelowna man to five years in prison for confining a woman in his home while he repeatedly choked and raped her in February 2016.

Jeremy Czechowski slouched forward in the prisoners' box with his head down in a Kelowna courtroom as Justice Kenneth Ball delivered the sentence Friday morning.

The level of sexual and physical violence Czechowski inflicted on the victim, whose name is protected under a publication ban, left her suffering anxiety attacks and unable to work, said Ball.

Ball laid out a timeline of the events during the sentencing hearing. 

In the early morning hours of February 21, 2016, the woman went to Czechowski's West Kelowna home with a female friend in order to purchase drugs.

Once the woman was inside, Czechowski pulled off the victim's pants and went upstairs with her purse. 

Repeated sexual assault

The woman followed Czechowski into his bedroom in an attempt to get her purse back and that is where he forced himself on her, while grabbing her around the neck with his hands.

He confined her to the room and violated the woman two more times over the next few hours.

At one point, the victim texted her friend who had already left Czechowski's home, pleading for help.

The victim left the house, and RCMP found her cowering near bushes in a neighbour's yard. 

During his trial, Czechowski testified the sex was consensual, but Ball ruled this was not the case, citing the woman's testimony, her injuries and noting that she was far too intoxicated to consent.

Evidence of self defence

A doctor who treated the victim found bruising on her neck and head and injuries consistent with strangulation, said Ball.

The doctor found signs of self defence including torn fingernails and bruising on her arms.

The sexual and physical violence left the victim traumatized and unable to work, said Ball.

In reading from a victim impact statement, Ball said the woman is now financially dependent on her family, has difficulty maintaining intimate relationships and suffers frequent anxiety and panic attacks.

Czechowski, who has no history of sex crimes, was sentenced to five years in prison less the one day he spent in custody after his arrest.

He was ordered to submit a DNA sample and will be placed on the sex offender registry for 20 years.