A B.C. worker who brutally bashed in his former boss’s face as the victim’s wife looked on in horror has been ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the lasting harm he caused.

Michael deBrouwer was convicted of assault causing bodily harm for the 2007 attack on Glen Weber and sentenced to two years of probation. In B.C. Supreme Court on Friday, he was also ordered to pay Weber $393,000 for damages and loss of income in response to a civil lawsuit.

“As a result of continuing anxiety and fear of the defendant, Mr. Weber has had ongoing thoughts and nightmares about the assault. Because of his fear of the defendant, Mr. Weber and his wife moved their possessions from Harrison [Hot Springs] quietly and in the middle of the night,” Justice Bruce Greyell wrote in his decision.

Glen Weber had resigned from his position as public works superintendent for Harrison Hot Springs just two months before he was beaten bloody on July 28, 2007. It was the third time he’d submitted his resignation from the job, citing the stress of dealing with staff members like deBrouwer, but he’d been talked out of quitting twice before.

During his two years as superintendent, Weber was frustrated by deBrouwer’s “intransigence and ... unwillingness to follow instructions,” according to court documents. He became frustrated with deBrouwer’s work performance and attitude and suspended him numerous times, though several suspensions were successfully grieved by the union.

In return, deBrouwer’s loathing for Weber grew so severe that he would sometimes follow his boss’s car or drive past his house.

On the morning of the attack, Weber went for a walk with his wife through their neighbourhood. When they approached their home, his wife went inside while Weber walked on.

Just a short stroll away, Weber happened upon deBrouwer sitting in his car, and saw his former employee get out of the vehicle and walk toward him. Weber told the court that deBrouwer told him to take his glasses off, and then refused to let him walk by.

Weber’s wife watched the scene unfold through the window of a home office.

“She could see Mr. deBrouwer pull Mr. Weber’s shirt off him, push him to the ground, and kick him. She said the defendant then started ‘pounding’ on Mr. Weber’s face,” the judge wrote in his decision.

Weber’s wife ran from the house, yelling for help the whole time. She wrote in an affidavit that she found deBrouwer holding Weber’s head under his left arm while he punched him with the right.

“She heard Mr. deBrouwer say ‘This is for what you are doing to my family,’” the judge said.

Mrs. Weber said she yelled at deBrouwer to leave, but he lunged at her instead. She stood her ground, warning the angry man “don’t even think about it,” and he finally backed off and ran away.

The beating left Weber with several facial fractures, a concussion and a mild traumatic brain injury. He’s been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and suffers from anxiety attacks and frequent nightmares.

He and his wife now own a small hotel in the southeastern part of the province, but Weber now has so much difficulty dealing with conflict that he avoids any contact with their guests. The couple says they live in constant fear of another attack.

In his decision, Greyell initially awarded Weber about $562,000 in damages, but reduced that by 30 per cent because the injured man has not undergone the recommended psychological treatment, taken the prescribed medication or cut down on his heavy drinking.