He kidnapped a woman, held a gun to her head and stabbed her in the neck before she finally managed to escape.
On Tuesday, Paul Peddle - a husband and father of three who had never been in trouble with the law before - was given a seven-year jail sentence for a shocking chain of events a little more than a year ago that horrified his unsuspecting victim.
"(It) was a despicable act, deserving of denunciation," Chief Judge Mark Pike said in sentencing Peddle at provincial court in St. John's Tuesday.
The 43-year-old received one year credit for time already served in custody since his arrest, leaving six years on his term.
Peddle had pleaded guilty to kidnapping with the use of a firearm, aggravated assault and pointing a firearm (a BB gun).
In rendering his decision, Pike opted to go somewhere in between what Crown prosecutor Francis Knickle and defence lawyer Joan Dawson had requested.
Knickle recommended a sentence of 10 years in jail, while Dawson said a prison term of five to seven years was more appropriate.
Peddle was arrested after an abduction that shocked the community on March 2, 2011.
He kidnapped the woman from Princess Auto in St. John's, drove to a cabin in the woods, threatened and assaulted her.
"The harm done to (the woman) is great," Pike said.
"It is apparent to me from her testimony, which essentially followed the words of her victim impact statement, that her injuries consist not only of the physical wounds to her body, but also the immense psychological harm from which she continues to suffer.
"It is an understatement to say that March 2, 2011, was a terrifying and horrific day for her."
Peddle lured the woman into his truck with a story about needing help. The truck was parked behind Princess Auto on Aberdeen Drive around 1 p.m.
After both were in the truck, Peddle pulled out a gun and told her they were going for a drive. He told the woman the gun was real and it was for protection.
Peddle drove away from town for about 40 minutes and stopped at a gas station in Whitbourne. He told the woman he was stopping for gas, went into the store and came back without having bought anything.
Peddle drove to Long Harbour and turned down an old railway bed. About 10 minutes later, the truck got stuck in snow and mud. They got out of the truck and kept walking until they reached a vacant cabin.
Then Peddle put a rope around her neck, dragged her and tried to tie her a tree. She got free and when Peddle confronted her, she started walking back to the truck.
She said she believed he was maybe joking around trying to scare her.
She got in the truck and Peddle tried to get it out of the mud.
On two occasions, while Peddle tried to free the truck, there were passersby and both times they refused to help free the truck.
Peddle was becoming more and more frustrated and got a knife from the rear of the truck. He held the knife to the woman's stomach and a struggle followed.
He then forced her face down in the snow while straddling her back with the knife to her neck.
When she continued to struggle, he stabbed her in the side of the neck.
She was cut several times, but managed to get the knife away from him.
He then got the gun and held it to her head.
She struggled and ran. He fired the gun in the air in her direction, but didn't chase her.
She eventually made it to a road, flagged down a car and was taken to a medical clinic around 4 p.m.
Local RCMP officers responded and searched the area, where they arrested Peddle.
A subsequent search of the cabin, which did not belong to Peddle, and his truck found a significant amount of survival gear, including propane, CO2 and blankets. A notebook containing a to-do list was also located. No. 2 on the list was "Make sure (victim's name) is tied up good."
During his interview with police Peddle first denied any recollection of the incident, but then admitted what he had.
He told officers he suffers from anxiety and regularly hears voices telling him to do bad things.
He also said while he'd hoped a sexual relationship might develop with the woman, it was not his ultimate goal.
He also specifically mentioned he would not have forced her to have sex.
He said he didn't know what his ultimate goal was, but that he had thought about abducting the woman before.
As part of the sentencing, Peddle is banned from having a firearm for 10 years and must submit a DNA sample.
He was ordered not to have any communication with the victim while he's in jail.
rgillingham@thetelegram.com
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