A Kelowna man will spend another 30 days in jail for assaulting a police officer and three other people while using methamphetamines.

Kent Tough, 30, appeared in court by video on Aug. 25. Tough faced several charges resulting from an incident on June 1 at a house in the 800 block of Leon Avenue.

Crown counsel Cory LaBoucane said police officers were called to the house close to 6:18 p.m. due to an attempted stabbing with scissors. A number of officers attended, and found small groups of people standing outside.

LaBoucane said police went inside the residence, and Const. Grant Jacobson found Tough. Jacobson began giving Tough verbal commands.

Tough was screaming at police officers from the top landing of the stairs. LaBoucane noted police said the words Tough was saying were not making any sense at the time.

Tough was ordered to show his hands, but instead ran at Jacobson.

He was secured by several officers. LaBoucane said police discovered blood spattered on the upper living room wall, and the room littered with cigarette butts, garbage and broken furniture.

In a prepared statement read in court, Jason Kemshaw, who was visiting the home, said Tough was ranting and raving, and appeared to be on some kind of drugs. Kemshaw asked Tough to leave.

He said Tough had a knife in his fist, and punched him five times with the fist. Kemshaw said the two wrestled until he choked Tough, seizing the knife and throwing it away.

He said Tough started ‘tweaking out’ and flailing around while the two wrestled, and he let Tough go. Kemshaw said Tough then grabbed a pair of scissors.

In another prepared statement, Wayne McDonald-Daniels, who lived in the basement of the house, heard a disturbance upstairs and went up to see what was going on.

The resident said Tough lunged at him with scissors when he told Tough to leave the house. McDonald-Daniels said he received scratches on his left shoulder, and punched Tough several times in the head and face after being assaulted.

A prepared statement from property owner Angela Jones said the basement resident came to her house, also in the 800 block of Leon Avenue, and told her and husband Jason Jones that Tough had just tried stabbing him three times.

Angela and Jason went to the house, and discovered Tough in the backyard. Angela said when Tough saw them, he ran at them while saying he was going to kill them.

Angela noted that Tough slammed his palm into her shoulder, and tried to assault her husband.

She added that Tough ran back inside the house. Angela said she had no idea who Tough was, but thought he was a friend of one of the renters.

LaBoucane said Tough has 14 previous convictions for property and drug-related offences, but the majority of them were property-related.

“There seems to be some promise for Mr. Tough.”

LaBoucane said Tough had the potential to be on the right path, but was easily persuaded by peers to fall back into drug addiction.

He noted Tough had purchased two homes to renovate, before falling back into substance abuse and ending up back on the streets.

“This seems to be the one consistency in his life.”

LaBoucane noted that Tough said he was experiencing visions, and believed the victims were trying to kill him.

He pointed out that Tough has no previous convictions for violence.

Defense lawyer Wayne Jennings said that Tough is small in stature and slight in build.

He noted that many of the witnesses in the case possessed similar drug problems to Tough’s own. He pointed out that Tough has attempted to better himself.

“When he stays away from drugs, he has an excellent work ethic.”

Jennings recommended Tough be given credit for the 86 days he had already spent in prison.

Tough said he planned to enter a residential treatment program, and get back to doing irrigation work.

He said he planned to avoid associating with any of the people he had before.

“I want to continue on my own, not worry about having friends and stuff like that, get my life back in order.”

Tough noted that he is remorseful for his actions.

“I thought I was the one being targeted in that house.”

He added that when police arrived and confronted him, he was confused and did not know what was happening.

Provincial court judge Bradford Chapman sentenced Tough to an additional 30 days in jail, with consideration for time already served.

Tough was also handed a one year probation after his jail term is complete, a ban on the consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs, a prohibition on possessing weapons for 10 years and ordered to seek counseling for substance abuse.

msimmons@kelownacapnews.com