A man already banned from driving for life was recently in court after being pulled over while impaired for a fourth time.
Appearing in a Bracebridge court Stephen Nevill, 42, pled guilty to driving while disqualified, impaired operation of a vehicle and driving without insurance.
Court heard that on March 1, 2022, police were on patrol on Highway 400 in Georgian Bay Township when they saw a vehicle with unconfirmed insurance status. They pulled the vehicle over and found out the driver, Nevill, was suspended from driving for life and they also smelled alcohol on his breath. He ultimately blew readings over the legal limit and police were also able to confirm he was uninsured.
Court heard this was Nevill’s fourth impaired driving conviction, and he has now been convicted of impaired driving twice while he was disqualified from driving.
A proposal was put forward for four months in jail, along with a $5,000 fine, the mandatory minimum for driving without insurance. The defense argued Nevill is on social assistance and the fine should be reduced.
Justice Robert Gattrell had some issues with reducing the fine.
“Paying for the fine should not be cheaper than insurance or why would they pay insurance?” he asked, but did agree to drop the fine to $2,500.
He also had problems with the jail term, saying the only reason the jail sentence could be so low was because the mandatory minimum sentences for those particular driving disqualified and impaired convictions were being imposed concurrently.
“I’m going to align with it but I struggle with it,” he said. “At a certain point, the Crown should just begin withdrawing charges every time.”
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RONALD RITCHIE says
It’s costing us either way for this idiot! Put him in jail and throw away the key, at least we will be getting out safety from him! He doesn’t seem to realize the implications and until he kills someone, he will continue as he is presently doing! JUDGE, do what we put u in there for, incarcerate thus idiot!