Adrianne DiSimoni

The offenders were convicted of possession of benzimidazole for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime.

The court noted that benzimidazole is a highly addictive and lethal opioid, more potent than fentanyl and resistant to Narcan.

The principal offender, who operated a high-end mid-level trafficking enterprise from her residence, was sentenced to 9 years' imprisonment.

The co-offender, a frequent visitor to the residence who was found to have diminished moral culpability as a 'found-in' party, was sentenced to 4 years' imprisonment.

Sentencing for a youthful offender who pleaded guilty to possessing approximately 609 grams of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking, possessing a loaded prohibited firearm, and breaching three weapons prohibition orders.

The court treated denunciation and deterrence as paramount, finding the offender to be at the high end of a mid-level fentanyl trafficking hierarchy and emphasizing the dangerous combination of large quantities of lethal drugs and a loaded handgun.

After imposing consecutive sentences totalling 14.5 years, the court reduced the sentence to 12 years under the totality principle, then further mitigated the sentence by six months for harsh pre-sentence detention conditions.

After Summers credit for 428 days of pre-sentence custody, the net sentence was 117 months in a federal penitentiary, together with lifetime weapons prohibition, DNA, and forfeiture orders.

The offender, a 45-year-old first-time offender, pleaded guilty to sexual interference with an 8-year-old girl in a department store.

The Crown sought a jail sentence of 6-9 months followed by 3 years probation, emphasizing denunciation and deterrence.

The defence sought an 18-month conditional sentence order (CSO) followed by 3 years probation, arguing the offender's significant rehabilitation efforts and low risk of reoffending warranted community-based sentencing.

The court imposed an 18-month CSO with electronic monitoring and strict conditions, followed by 3 years probation, finding that the offender's genuine remorse, insight, participation in therapy, stable employment, and absence of aggravating factors made a CSO proportionate despite the seriousness of the offence and the need for denunciation and deterrence.

Corey Parnell was found guilty of dangerous driving and flight from police.

The court addressed the appropriate sentence and a Charter remedy for a two-day overhold in custody.

The Crown sought a custodial sentence of three to four months and a driving prohibition, while the defence sought a non-custodial sentence.

The court imposed a global custodial term of 120 days, reduced to 60 days as a remedy under s. 24(1) of the Charter for the overhold, and a two-year driving prohibition in addition to the custodial term.

Corey Parnell was charged with dangerous driving and flight from police.

He argued non-culpability due to police conduct and sought a stay of proceedings for unlawful pre-trial detention.

The court found him guilty of both charges, rejecting his defences of reasonable excuse and necessity.

While acknowledging a Charter breach for two days of unlawful pre-trial custody, the court declined to stay proceedings, finding an alternative remedy (sentence reduction) more appropriate and that the integrity of the justice system would not be harmed by continuing the trial, partly due to defence counsel's role in the communication breakdown.