Thomas Chevrier blatantly ignored court orders curbing his driving privileges and his behaviour cost him big time.
His actions caught the eye of cops on three occasions during a six-month period and landed him in a Sault Ste. Marie courtroom Tuesday.
The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to half a dozen offences that occurred in August and September of 2024 and January of this year.
Ontario Court Justice Romuald Kwolek heard city police officers spotted a motorcycle travelling east on McNabb Street at Pim Street on Aug. 14.
The accused was a disqualified driver and didn't have a licence or insurance, prosecutor Adrianna Mucciarelli said.
Chevrier told them he had just purchased the bike and was driving it home.
At the time, he was a prohibited driver because of an impaired conviction, the assistant Crown attorney told the court.
On Sept. 8 and Jan. 8, he was again driving while disqualified.
In addition to these offences, Chevrier was convicted of breaching an order that required him to have no contact with a woman.
She contacted police on Dec. 8 to report he had been staying with her since September, but he was gone when officers arrived, Mucciarelli said.
On Jan. 8, he was found driving a vehicle, accompanied by the woman, who was in the passenger seat.
The Crown and defence lawyer Jasmine Gassi Harnden jointly called for six months jail, less credit for Chevrier's pre-sentence custody, which results in one-day time served, plus 12 months probation.
They also recommended a two-year driving prohibition, plus a $5,000 fine for the Highway Traffic Act offences.
At the time of the first offence in August, he had a 12-month prohibition but continued to drive, and then accumulated two further charges, the assistant Crown attorney said.
"Then he's here on three driving while disqualified charges" because he ignored the orders. "He has no business operating any kind of conveyance."
His guilty pleas show remorse, that he's taking responsibility for his actions, and has saved court time, Mucciarelli said, calling six months in jail appropriate.
The $5,000 fine is the mandatory minimum for the driving offence, Gassi Harnden noted.
She asked Kwolek if her client could have the longest amount of time – two or three years – to pay the fine.
Chevrier will remain in custody on charges he faces in Toronto and the couple is expecting their first child, the defence said.
"There's no excuse for my behaviour and I made bad decisions recently," he told Kwolek.
The accused appeared in the Sault courtroom via video from the Monteith Correctional Complex in Iroquois Falls.
"Since incarceration I've been taking programs for anger management and substance abuse," he said. "I want to better myself for my child."
Kwolek cited the aggravating factors – driving with no insurance, repeatedly breaching orders not to drive or communicate with the woman.
He also noted Chevrier's remorse and congratulated him "for doing things while in custody that will benefit his child."
Kwolek said he was going to reduce the fine to $4,000 because Chevrier will have to pay victim surcharges, which will bring the total monetary penalty to $5,000.
He gave the young man three years to pay.
As well, he imposed a sentence of one-day time served for driving while disqualified and prohibited him from getting behind the wheel for two years.
Chevrier will be on probation for 12 months with a condition that he have no contact with the woman unless she provides her written revocable consent.
The judge also ordered him to provide a DNA sample for the national registry.