Lethbridge man convicted in domestic assault from 2022

A Lethbridge man whose “violent criminal record” led him to be sent to jail 10 times for domestic assault has been sentenced again.

In the latest incident, Gordon Nash was charged by Coaldale RCMP after he attacked his partner, Sandra Ashcroft, in March 2022.

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According to court documents, Nash and Ashcroft went out for a night of drinking at a Coaldale pub and ended up being forced to leave after Nash became hostile toward other patrons.

The pair then returned to the motorhome where Nash lived, where they continued to drink and began to argue, leading to violence.

“Over the course of a few hours, Mr. Nash punched, kicked, struck, scratched and hit Ms. Ashcroft’s body, using both his bare hands, his feet which were wearing cowboy boots, and a metal baseball bat. Additionally, he threw Ms. Ashcroft around and about the small camper space, refusing to let her leave.”

Ashcroft fell unconscious after Nash choked her.

The court heard Ashcroft only escaped when Nash fell asleep, allowing her to crawl out of the camper with a cell phone, which she used to call 911.

Paramedics found her wearing boots and a thin dress, which was stained with blood.

“The obvious injuries to Ms. Ashcroft’s face, scalp, head and chest were complex,” the court said.

“Her face and hair were covered in fresh and dried blood, her eyes were almost swollen shut, bruises and contusions were becoming more obvious to those portions of her body which were exposed to the cold – namely her face, neck, chest, legs and hands, and she appeared to be in shock and medical distress.”

Nash’s trial began in 2023 and he did not submit any evidence in his defence. He eventually fired his lawyer and court proceedings in the case were delayed multiple times since February 2024, documents indicate.

He was later convicted in the assault and Justice K.R. Ailsby of the Alberta Court of Justice in Lethbridge sentenced him to nine years in jail on June 8.

In her reasons, Ailsby wrote that Nash possessed a “long, related and violent criminal record” that’s spanned 24 years of his life.

“Mr. Nash was sentenced 10 times for having committed at least 22 offenses against no less than seven victims – and those are just the convictions arising from the domestic violence context.

“His criminal record discloses multiple more offenses, even violent ones.”

Ailsby called the current offences against Nash all “very serious charges” and noted his lack of regard for release orders related to Ashcroft.

“Without provocation, he embarked on a prolonged violent campaign which compromised Ms. Ashcroft’s very life. I am satisfied that a custodial sentence of nine years realizes proportionality – it reflects the highest levels of gravity and culpability but does not exceed any more than what is appropriate.”

Ailsby wrote that while sentences are meant to provide opportunities for inmates to be rehabilitated, she said Nash’s “lack of insights” continue to be “a source of genuine worry.”

“Mr. Nash does not believe he’s responsible for any harm done. He remains steadfast in his perspective that the problem is not his choice to be violent.

“The problem is, according to him, his choice in choosing ‘crazy women’ as partners.

“I fear another woman in our community, maybe even before Mr. Nash is released, will become physically hurt, or emotionally compromised by him.”

With time served, Nash has three years left on his sentence.

Ashcroft died in fall 2025, Ailsby said.

“The person who experienced the greatest harm arising from Mr. Nash’s offenses died before ever knowing the punishment Mr. Nash would face for severely hurting her.”