Sentencing following convictions for three counts of trafficking crack cocaine and one count of possession of proceeds of crime after undercover police purchases.
The offender, a first-time offender with refugee status and no prior record, sold small quantities of crack cocaine on three occasions and was arrested with marked buy money.
The court considered the sentencing principles under s.718 of the Criminal Code, emphasizing denunciation and deterrence while also weighing the offender’s rehabilitative efforts and lack of prior criminal history.
Applying the framework for conditional sentences under s.742.1 and the guidance in R. v. Proulx, the court concluded that the risk of re‑offending was minimal and that a community-based sanction could achieve the objectives of sentencing.
A conditional sentence of imprisonment followed by probation was imposed.
