I. Bulmer

The offender, a police officer, pleaded guilty to careless use of a firearm after firing his weapon at a fleeing vehicle in a busy shopping area without legal justification.

The defence sought an absolute discharge, while the Crown sought a conviction and a fine.

The court held that an absolute discharge would be contrary to the public interest, as it would fail to adequately address the objectives of denunciation and general deterrence given the offender's breach of public trust.

A conviction was entered and a $5,000 fine was imposed.

The accused, a police officer, pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm after punching a bystander who was photographing police activity.

The accused sought an absolute discharge, while the Crown sought a suspended sentence.

The court found that the accused's direction to stop photographing was unlawful and that the assault constituted a breach of trust.

Concluding that a discharge would be contrary to the public interest and fail to adequately denounce the conduct, the court imposed a suspended sentence with one year of probation, including 40 hours of community service.