A former Montreal sports journalist received a harsh 21-month prison sentence on Wednesday for a particularly shocking domestic violence case. Jonah Keri not only beat his pregnant ex-wife numerous times, he also violently attacked an infant.
Posted at 7:34 p.m.
” [M. Keri] kicked his victim on the knees, punched him on the head and ears, pushed him, dragged him on the ground, slapped him, bit him, spat in his face, headbutted her, shook her, pulled her hair, grabbed her by the shoulders and threatened to throw her off the balcony. […] He took a knife and threatened to pull the baby out of his womb, ”listed Judge Alexandre Dalmau at the start of his judgment at the Montreal courthouse.
This chilling list only partially sums up the 14 episodes of violence committed by Jonah Keri in just a few months in 2018 and 2019 against his ex-wife. The violent man also broke the victim’s nose and threatened to cause a car accident to kill them both, as he drove erratically.
At that time, Jonah Keri was leading a “prolific” career as a sports journalist specializing in baseball, earning him $250,000 a year. He was particularly well known in the United States and the rest of Canada, since he collaborated among other channels ESPN and Sportsnet. He is also known for a book on the Montreal Expos.
The fallen journalist, however, lost all his contracts following his arrest. Last summer, the Montrealer pleaded guilty to assault, assault with a weapon, death threats and harassment charges against his ex-wife, as well as assault charges. in fact against a child who cannot be identified.
The crimes committed by Jonah Keri are so serious that Judge Dalmau imposed on him on Wednesday a sentence much higher than that of at least 12 months in prison suggested by the prosecutor Mand Bruno Menard. His lawyer, Mr.and Jeffrey Boro, was even less successful in convincing the judge that a prison sentence would be unnecessary because of his rehabilitation.
Jonah Keri’s crimes are “too significant” and the aggravating circumstances, too “numerous” to favor a lenient sentence, considers the judge. Moreover, had it not been for his admission of guilt, his remorse and his “serious” rehabilitation work, Judge Dalmau would not have “hesitated” to impose a sentence of more than two years in prison.
The judge recalls that domestic violence remains a “major” social problem and that the objectives of denunciation are of great importance in this regard. This is why he imposed an 18 month prison sentence on Jonah Keri for the crimes committed against his ex-wife.
To this sentence are added three months of detention for attacking a baby. The ex-journalist bit the child and deliberately dropped him on a piece of furniture. “It is difficult to imagine a more vulnerable category of human beings”, decides the judge. These two sentences must be served consecutively in order to denounce “independently” these two crimes, he adds.