Disgraced sports writer Jonah Keri sentenced to 21 months in jail for domestic abuse conviction

WARNING -- Some readers might find parts of this story disturbing. 

Disgraced Montreal sports journalist Jonah Keri has been sentenced to 21 months in jail after pleading guilty to charges of assault, death threats and criminal harassment against his former wife and a minor.

The Montreal native, who was best known for his 2014 history of the Montreal Expos, was also sentenced to two years' probation and must follow other conditions ordered by the court, including providing a DNA sample and a ban on possessing any weapons for 10 years, including knives. He also cannot contact or be within 50 metres of the victims.

In his judgment issued Wednesday at the Montreal courthouse, Quebec Court Justice Alexandre Dalmau praised the woman for her "courage" to report the history of violent attacks that included instances of slapping, biting, hair pulling, and multiple death threats. In one case, he broke her nose by head-butting her.

Before reaching his decision, the judge reviewed 14 character letters from Keri's supporters that described a changed man who was remorseful and "bounced back" from therapy and new employment.

"However, it should be remembered that all of this genuine self-reflection and sincere self-improvement work occurred only after the offender's arrest and indictment, once his image and his personal and professional reputation were tarnished by the media coverage of the case," wrote Justice Dalmau.

"In the circumstances, the only courage worth highlighting is the victim's. She had the courage to report the incessant violence she suffered despite the immense pressure on her to remain quiet. That pressure was caused precisely by her spouse's excellent reputation, his social circle, and the income he earned … In fact, the greatest source of pressure came from the offender himself, who threatened to kill her and members of her family if she reported his violence against her."

'NO WINNERS IN THESE TYPES OF CASES'

Prosecutor Bruno Ménard had asked for a minimum 12-month jail sentence as well as probation, while the defence had asked for no jail time. Keri's lawyer, Jeffrey Boro, said it's possible his client could be released on parole after serving about one third of his sentence.

"It's a sad story with a sad ending. There are no winners in these types of cases," Boro said in an interview after the sentencing.

"The victim, as you heard, has been traumatized. The accused has lost the life that he knew, which was quite exciting, lucrative, he was on top of the heap and he's no longer there. He's in jail."

The prosecutor said outside of court that he hopes this sentence sends a message to other survivors to speak up and report abuse, which he said often takes place in the home and hidden to most people.

"This is something that we see every day in the courthouse. The victims having the courage to come forward to come to court, it's a difficult process, but it's worth it," Ménard said.

On Wednesday, the judge noted he had to weigh the mitigating factors in arriving at his decision: Keri had no criminal record, he pleaded guilty, which spared the abuse survivor from going to trial, he expressed "sincere remorse," he acknowledged the harm he caused to the two complainants, and sought therapy, which his probation officer recommended he continue pursuing.

Among the aggravating factors, Dalmau highlighted "the physical and especially psychological injuries the victim and the repetitive nature of the violent acts."

'I LOST MYSELF'

Keri pleaded guilty last August to the charges, telling the court that he was sorry for his actions, but admitted his apologies were "meaningless" because "the cycle of violence continued."

In a victim impact statement at a sentencing hearing last year, his ex-wife described her marriage to Keri — just shy of one year — as a nightmare.

"To this day, I feel compelled to avoid confrontation at any cost, no matter who it is with,” she said at the time. “Because of Mr. Keri’s actions, I lost myself.”

The offences involving his wife date back to July 2018, May 2019 and July 2019 and involve multiple incidents of violent physical and verbal assaults on his wife, according to court documents. 

After the initial arrest in the summer of 2019, he was granted bail with several conditions, but in November 2019, Keri was taken into custody again after a new warrant was issued when he broke one of his bail conditions by contacting his wife.

Keri had written for many of North America's top sports websites and publications, all of whom cut ties with him following his charges.

SUPPORT NETWORK

Victims of domestic violence can contact SOS violence conjugale at 1-800-363-9010.

Other resources:

• Federation des Maisons d'Hebergement pour Femmes
• Shield of Athena
• Espace Sans Violence
• Regroupement des Maisons Pour Femmes Victimes de Violence Conjugale
• Centre de Solidarite Lesbienne