American man pleads guilty to striking woman with his car in Windsor

Sentencing submissions have been made in an intimate partner violence trial.

An American man has pleaded guilty to striking a woman with his car in Windsor.

Shermere Coulston-Hawkins, now 24, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing bodily harm and choking.

From Philadelphia, Coulston-Hawkins had also been charged with attempted murder, forcible confinement and leaving the scene of an accident.

On the evening of Dec. 23, 2023, the victim was struck by a car near Riverside Drive and Ferry Street.

Police say however the woman had been previously assaulted by the man at a different location.

“(Coulston-Hawkins) choked (the victim),” Assistant Crown Attorney Zach Battiston told the court Thursday. “He ultimately struck (the victim) with his car and caused her injuries. And he just left her there.”

Victim Injuries

The woman describes her injures as “extremely devastating”, including head trauma and broken teeth.

“It is only by God that I am able to be present today considering I woke up unconscious after being struck by the offenders’ vehicle,” the woman wrote in her victim impact statement.

She has been diagnosed with a concussion, cognitive impairment and suffers migraines. The woman has undergone two surgeries and a bone graft.

“I live with a constant fear for my safety. I am no longer normal,” the woman wrote.

Accused apologies

At his sentencing hearing Thursday, Coulston-Hawkins apologized for his actions.

“I never intended to come to Canada and cause any problems,” Coulston-Hawkins told Justice Kelly Gorman. “I intended to have a great time with (the victim) and spend quality time with her.”

Court learned Coulston-Hawkins turned himself in to a police officer at the hospital when he tried to search for where she was taken the next day, Dec. 24, 2023.

He has been in custody ever since.

Coulston-Hawkins says he has been a “model inmate” while incarcerated and he has “taken advantage” of courses offered in jail and has found God.

“I’m severely sorry for the trauma that has been inflicted on (the victim) and her family.

Lawyers differ on sentence

Defence lawyer Evan Weber is asking for a jail sentence of 18 months, noting Coulston-Hawkins is a first-time offender in Canada and the United States and is likely to be deported when his sentence is served.

The Crown on the other hand, is asking for a prison term of four to eight years.

Justice Gorman will sentence Coulston-Hawkins on Aug. 6.