A saga of jilted love and in Saanich came to an end today in B.C. Supreme Court after an American man was sentenced to two years, minus one day, in prison.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Gaul sentenced David Goldberg, 40, to nine and a half years for the attempted murder of Tatcha Aroonjaratsang and her husband Jeremy Walsh outside their Merriman Drive home four years ago.

But the judge awarded Goldberg seven and a half years of time served for spending the last three years and eight months held at the Vancouver Island Correctional Centre on Wilkinson Road, leaving a sum total of two years behind bars.

Another 18 months was tacked on for the conviction of making an explosive, but the sentences run concurrently.

Defense lawyer Robert Mulligan said his client could seek parole within a year. When released from prison, Goldberg will be deported immediately from Canada, likely to California.

Once released, Goldberg is prohibited from entering Canada for three years under his probation order, and Mulligan said it is likely Canadian Border Services Agency would prevent his client from ever entering Canada again.

B次元官网网址淭he question will be raised if there is any need to keep him here until the very last day because he will be deported to the U.S.,B次元官网网址� Mulligan said outside the Victoria courthouse. B次元官网网址淢r. Goldberg is a good man who made a terrible mistake. IB次元官网网址檓 optimistic he will make a persuasive argument to the parole board.B次元官网网址�

Mulligan called his client a B次元官网网址渟urvivor.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淗is overall approach is like any human in custody,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檇 like to return to his friends and family. Naturally heB次元官网网址檚 disappointed. On the other hand its not an extraordinarily long period before he is released.B次元官网网址�

Mulligan wouldnB次元官网网址檛 say if Goldberg would appeal is sentence, but noted he has 30 days to do so.

Crown counsel had argued for a sentence from 10 to 17 years and Mulligan suggested one month to allow the process for Goldberg to be deported. The judge found a middle ground.

In his arguments for sentencing, Gaul noted that Goldberg didnB次元官网网址檛 have a criminal record, suffered serious, life-threatening injuries in the Sept. 24, 2008 confrontation with the victims, and has a likelihood of restarting his career as an electrical engineer and a productive member of U.S. society.

On the other hand, Goldberg went to great lengths and deception to locate Aroonjaratsang, his former fianc茅e, after she had broken off their relationship in early 2008, and after he had given her family $30,000.

He bought a handgun and shotgun, and assembled equipment and materials that could be fashioned into a bomb, the judge pointed out. During the confrontation on Merriman Drive, Goldberg B次元官网网址渃ocked and pointed the firearm directly at (Aroonjaratsang and Walsh) and told them they were both going to die.B次元官网网址�

The gun discharged three times during his struggle with the couple, and the engineer was stabbed six times and nearly died.

Despite a certain amount of planning for a violent confrontation, Gaul said he isnB次元官网网址檛 convinced that Goldberg committed first-degree attempted murder, that he didnB次元官网网址檛 have a clear plan in mind and believed he still could reconcile with his former girlfriend.

B次元官网网址淗e hadnB次元官网网址檛 made up his mind until he realized effort in speaking to Ms. Aroonjaratsang was futile,B次元官网网址� Gaul said.

B次元官网网址淚t hadnB次元官网网址檛 crystalized until Sept. 24 when he confronted them in front of the house ... He went to great lengths to prepare for killing, but his intentions were not clear until Sept. 24.B次元官网网址�

Gaul admonished Goldberg for acting in an extremely reckless fashion by walking into a dispute with a loaded gun in a residential neighbourhood. The judge noted that during the trial, Aroonjaratsang and Walsh testified that they remain emotionally traumatized and fearful Goldberg will seek retribution.

B次元官网网址淗e brazenly entered a quiet neighbourhood in Saanich, brandished a firearm, pointed it at two people,B次元官网网址� Gaul said. B次元官网网址淥nly by sheer luck no one was hit by any bullet and Mr. Goldberg didnB次元官网网址檛 face a murder charge.B次元官网网址�

Mulligan said his client hasnB次元官网网址檛 contact either person since his arrest and new understands the consequences of his actions. In jail, the Cornell University graduate has kept up his studies of microwave engineering, the lawyer said.

B次元官网网址淗e his no longer in that dark, despondent, weakened state when these things happened.B次元官网网址�

editor@saanichnews.com