St. Paul chef Justin Sutherland, who is known nationally, said in court Friday that an alcohol-fueled argument escalated into something he deeply regrets. For threatening his girlfriend with a gun in St. Paul last summer, a judge sentenced him to two months of electronic home monitoring and two years of probation. Justin Sutherland (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office) He pleaded guilty on Oct. 24 to the felony charge. Later that day, Sutherland was arrested again — this time for violating a domestic abuse no-contact order, which a judge put in place regarding Sutherland’s girlfriend. Sutherland’s sentence Friday also applies to that case. Sutherland said Friday that he sought in-patient treatment, anger management courses and therapy. He said he’s sober and he hopes the worst chapter of his life isn’t what he’ll be known for. Sutherland, 40, previously made TV appearances on shows like “Top Chef,” “Fast Foodies” and “Taste the Culture.” He opened Grand Avenue sandwich shop Big E and was formerly affiliated with Handsome Hog in St. Paul’s Cathedral Hill. Sutherland was arrested on June 28 following the second of two domestic violence-related police calls in St. Paul that evening. During an argument with his girlfriend, Sutherland strangled her, pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her, according to the criminal complaint. When Sutherland was charged in June, a judge issued a no-contact order with his girlfriend, which is standard in such cases. Sutherland’s girlfriend’s request to have the protective order lifted was noted in court, but the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office opposed it and requested it remain in place, as part of the plea deal, at least until sentencing, which a judge agreed to, according to the county attorney’s office. On the day that Sutherland pleaded guilty, in the afternoon, an officer working at Target in St. Paul’s Midway area saw Sutherland enter the store with his girlfriend and notified other officers. Police found Sutherland and the woman walking together in the nearby Spirit Halloween store and arrested him. Sutherland pleaded guilty the next day to the charge, which is a gross misdemeanor. Sutherland’s attorney, John Daly, said at the time that Sutherland and the woman “are in a long-term loving relationship,” and she showed up at his house because she was upset about her family member being admitted to the hospital and she wanted to talk. “He didn’t think it was a good idea for her to be at his house” because of the no-contact order, Daly said in October. “He obviously should have just said, ‘I can’t talk to you right now,’ but he was headed to Target, so he invited her to come along with him. He was consoling her and talking to her.” Related Articles Crime & Public Safety | Burnsville man faces upgraded murder charge in slaying of 82-year-old mom Crime & Public Safety | Woodbury couple recognized for saving man from cold pond Crime & Public Safety | Tempers flare during first day of murder trial in Forest Lake hit-and-run case Crime & Public Safety | Rosemount police and public works departments move to new $58M campus; city welcomes first full-time fire chief Crime & Public Safety | Metro Transit safety plans include more fare inspectors, security officers, cleaners