A 22-year-old Canadian has been sentenced to 10 months in jail for punching and kicking a Sikh man in a racially motivated attack that had drawn strong condemnation from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Gabriel Royer-Tremblay, 22, was convicted for assaulting Toronto resident Supninder Singh Khehra on a street in Quebec City in March.
Khehra had said at the time that Tremblay and two of his friends shouted and swore at him in French and pointed at his turban, before he was punched in the eye and kicked.
29-year-old Khehra said his turban flew off of his head during the assault.
Police arrived at the scene a short time later and arrested Tremblay and another man, who was later released without charges.
The incident had drawn widespread condemnation in Canada, including from Prime Minister Trudeau, who said at the time that such “hateful acts” have “no place in Canada”.
Royer-Tremblay was also convicted of several other offences, including obstructing police and methamphetamine possession.
His lawyer, Benoit Labrecque, told CTV News Toronto that six months of the sentence was for the assault against Khehra, and the other four were tied to the other offences.
{{/usCountry}}His lawyer, Benoit Labrecque, told CTV News Toronto that six months of the sentence was for the assault against Khehra, and the other four were tied to the other offences.
{{/usCountry}}Royer-Tremblay was also given two years’ probation on Thursday. The crown had sought a total jail term of 18 months, while Labrecque argued for a 90-day jail stint served on weekends.
Khehra submitted a victim impact statement to the court that said he no longer feels safe when walking alone on the street, and is coping with a great deal of stress related to the incident.
With credit for pre-trial custody, Royer-Tremblay will spend eight more months in jail.