The accused pleaded guilty to abducting a nine-year-old child after luring him into his vehicle with ice cream and a toy.
The Crown sought 18 months' custody, while the defence requested a conditional discharge, arguing the incident was a 'cultural misunderstanding' that would result in severe immigration consequences.
The court rejected the cultural misunderstanding defence and found that the gravity of the offence required a custodial sentence to address denunciation and deterrence.
The accused was sentenced to 18 months' custody followed by three years' probation.
