OTTAWA - A self-described “she-male” prostitute was sentenced to 30 days in jail Tuesday for a fifth assault conviction — this time punching a man who said he took a cab across town for a platonic chat.

Anthony “Vanessa” Kulwartian, 29, was convicted of assaulting Keith Maheux — whom the prostitute insisted was a “bad date” — on March 27, 2009.

Kulwartian has to understand that continuing to assault people will result in jail time, Ontario Court Justice Stephen Hunter said.

“Anyone in the sex trade does face those extra risks to be sure but so do the customers from time to time,” he said.

Kulwartian wept when it became clear a jail sentence and probation was in the offing then muttered angrily and fidgeted with a handbag as it was imposed.

“I’ll lose my housing,” Kulwartian complained loudly. “I’ll be in the woman’s shelter again and I’ll be prostituting again. It’s a cycle.”

Kulwartian’s lawyer Karen Reid had asked for house arrest, which would have kept the hooker in the Heatherington home where the assault took place.

Kulwartian — who does hair and make-up for women in a shelter — is a homebody with a cat who would comply with conditions, Reid argued.

“This is simply the cost of doing business for this gentleman,” prosecutor Vivian-Lee Stewart said of the jail time, noting that Kulwartian has a history of turning to violence when facing difficult situations as a prostitute.

Instead, Kulwartian needs to get a legitimate job and out of the sex trade, Stewart said.

Maheux testified that Kulwartian, whom he thought was a woman, said after they met on a chat line that there wouldn’t be any sex or money but then demanded cash and assaulted him.

megan.gillis@sunmedia.ca