Latest news with #CriminalCodeofCanada
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Vicious attack in Langley caught on security video
Global News has obtained video showing a vicious assault in Langley. In the video, a man can be seen shoving a woman into the street, then repeatedly kicking and punching her before she escapes. It happened in the 20100 block of Fraser Highway around 6:17 a.m. on Sunday. Soon after the attack, Langley RCMP arrested 34-year-old Hugh Mason, who has since been charged with assault and assault causing bodily harm. 'We recognize that this violent incident was not only traumatic for the victim but is also deeply concerning to the community as a whole,' Langley RCMP Sgt. Zynal Sharoom said on Monday. 1:26 Suspect arrested in Langley stranger attack Opposition public safety critic Elenore Sturko said the video was disturbing. Story continues below advertisement 'It's absolutely horrific to see an individual standing minding their own business suddenly attacked by someone that they don't know,' she said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'This was a relentless beating on a member of the community. Frankly, I felt sick seeing this.' Mason is well known to police and has a long list of court appearances for assault and breach. 'The premier and the attorney general need to go to Ottawa and insist that there are changes made to bail conditions and to the Criminal Code of Canada that can help see people involved in this type of activity kept in custody for the protection of the public,' Sturko said. The injured woman was treated in hospital and is expected to recover. Mason is due to make another court appearance on Thursday. For now, he remains in custody.
Ottawa Citizen
a day ago
- General
- Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa police constable demoted for 14 months over impaired driving conviction
An Ottawa Police Service officer has been ordered demoted following the settlement of a disciplinary process sparked by his arrest and conviction for impaired driving in late 2024. Article content A 'consent order' by adjudicator Ian Anderson, dated May 23 and published this week on the OPS website, said Serge Fortin would be downgraded from First Class Constable to Second Class Constable for 14 months. Article content Article content Officially, Fortin was penalized for one count of being convicted of an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada and another count of undermining the public trust. Article content He had failed blood-alcohol tests after being stopped at an Ontario Provincial Police RIDE checkpoint on Nov. 26, 2024, the consent order said. On Feb. 3, it added in an agreed statement of facts, he pleaded guilty to an impaired driving charge in court and received both a 12-month driving suspension and a $1,500 fine. Article content
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Napanee man convicted of sexual interference, harassing communications
A Napanee resident has been convicted and sentenced for sexual interference and harassing communications. On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in the Brockville Ontario Superior Court, David Vine pleaded guilty to the two charges. According to Section 151 of the Criminal Code of Canada (CC), a charge of sexual interference is made against a person who, for a sexual purpose, touches, directly or indirectly, with a part of the body or with an object, any part of the body of a person under the age of 16 years. According to Section 372(3), 'harassing communications' involve repeatedly communicating with someone using telecommunication without a lawful excuse and with the intent to harass. This can include phone calls, text messages, emails, or other forms of digital communication. After granting a credit equivalent to two years and 14 days of pre-trial custody for the charge of sexual interference, the Judge imposed an 18-month conditional sentence, followed by a three-year probation order for the charge of harassing communications. In Canada, a convicted person may receive credit for time spent in pre-trial custody, often referred to as 'pre-sentence custody' or 'dead time.' A sentencing judge can reduce the final sentence by a certain amount, typically one day for every day spent in pre-trial custody, but can also grant enhanced credit under certain circumstances. Several conditions were mandated for Vine's release. Per Section 109 of the CC, he is subject to a lifetime weapons prohibition. He was also given a mandatory DNA order. Also known as a DNA data bank order, this court order directs an offender to provide a DNA sample for forensic analysis. Vine is also subject to a lifetime Sexual Offender Information Registration Act (SOIRA) order. According to the reference source Criminal Law Notebook , under Section 490, the length of the SOIRA order is based on the election (how the convicted person pleaded) and the maximum penalty. An order made under subsection 490.012(1) or (3) applies for life if 'the court is satisfied that those offences demonstrate, or form part of, a pattern of behaviour showing that the person presents an increased risk of reoffending by committing a crime of a sexual nature.' Vine is further subject to a court order under CC s.161 for 20 years. When an offender is convicted of an offence concerning persons under the age of 16, section 161 of the code permits the court to make an order prohibiting the offender from certain activities that may have them in contact with persons under the age of 16. This order prohibits Vine from having contact or communicating in any way with, working with, volunteering with, or supervising anyone under the age of 16, and from attending a public park or public swimming area where persons under the age of 16 are present or can reasonably be expected to be present, including daycare centres, school grounds, playgrounds, or community centres. As is a standard practice in such cases, a publication ban has been put in place in the case against Vine to prevent the publication of the victim's name and any identifying information. While the dates of the offences Vine has been convicted of are not currently known, the case against him was filed with the Ontario courts in June 2024. It is unknown at this time why Vine was tried in a Brockville court, though the location of the court hearings is often related to the location where the alleged crimes occurred. Kingstonist will provide further coverage of this matter if/when further information becomes available. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Vancouver Sun
27-05-2025
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. ostrich cull controversy: How we got here and what happens next
In December 2024, a flock of wild ducks landed on a pond at Universal Ostrich Farm in the small community of Edgewood in the West Kootenays, bringing with them the highly contagious H5N1 bird flu. Within weeks, 69 ostriches died, leading to a visit from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which ordered the remaining 400 ostriches be killed to avoid further spread of the disease. As of May 26, the birds are still alive, thanks to court action taken by the farm owners that has slowed the process, growing community support and most recently a request from the U.S. government that the birds be studied, not culled. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Here's what to know about the case: Avian flu viruses occur naturally among wild birds and spread easily from bird to bird. In 2022, a more infectious avian flu virus appeared in poultry farms in Canada and the U.S. In B.C., more than eight million domestic birds have either died from the virus or been ordered culled by the CFIA. The virus has now spread to dairy cattle, foxes, skunks, marine mammals and more. There have also been isolated reports of the virus in goats and in a pig in the U.S. In November 2024, the B.C. Ministry of Health reported its first case of bird flu in a human — a teenager living in the Fraser Health region who has since recovered. Universal Ostrich Farm was founded in 1995 by Karen Espersen and sells bird oil, feathers and skins. It is involved in an international program to produce antibodies and, ultimately, a vaccine to manage the H5N1 avian flu pandemic. Espersen's daughter Katie Pastiney said CFIA agents arrived at the farm on Dec. 31 and took a swab sample from two of the birds that had died. On Jan. 9, the CFIA emailed a letter to the family stating the ostriches are considered to be poultry, and that all birds on the farm would need to be destroyed by Feb. 1, 2025. If the family could not kill the birds themselves, the CFIA offered to hire a third party to do the work. Pastiney said her family decided to fight the order and met with an agribusiness lawyer the following week. On Jan. 9, Steve Morissette, the B.C. NDP MLA for Kootenay-Monashee, wrote a letter to the CFIA stating his opposition to the cull order. Following the first reports of the controversy, Vancouver animal defence lawyer Rebeka Breder said the proposed cull order could be deemed unlawful animal cruelty. 'I don't know how they can kill this many large birds humanely or without cruelty,' Breder told The Vancouver Sun on Jan. 15. She said cruelty to animals is against the Criminal Code of Canada and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in B.C. Section 441 of the Criminal Code states an animal owner cannot wilfully 'permit to be caused unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal or a bird.' Pastiney said it was not possible to shoot the large and heavy birds because it would cause mass panic. She said they did not have an enclosed space to gas them and it would difficult to round them up and slit their throats. At this point, supporters began camping outside the farm. Universal Ostrich Farm received a court injunction to delay the cull order pending a Federal Court review. On May 13, a Federal Court judge rejected two judicial reviews brought by the farm against the CFIA order. Universal Ostrich Farm argued the birds should be saved because they had developed herd immunity to avian flu and could contribute to the fight against the disease. The court ruled that it could not make a decision based on the current health of the animals, but only on the decision made by the CFIA at the time. The judge noted that Parliament empowered the CFIA to face public health threats like avian flu, authorizing it to 'act decisively making swift decisions with far-reaching consequences, often under conditions of scientific uncertainty.' Following the ruling, more supporters gathered at the farm on the western shore of the Upper Arrow Lakes. On Monday, the farm owners filed an appeal in Federal Court in Vancouver, in a bid to overturn the May 13 ruling. The RCMP began monitoring the farm following the Federal Court ruling, noting 'increased tensions' and protest action at the site. On May 23, Pastiney posted a video on social media saying a large drone had flown over the property between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. and one of their 'biggest, beautiful roosters' was shot dead. She said that Mounties have been collecting statements from witnesses, and that there is a 'clear entry wound and exit wound' through the bird that died. RCMP spokesman Cpl. Brett Urano said the RCMP was an 'impartial party' in protests, taking a 'measured approach' to ensure public safety, and police liaison officers have been visiting the farm regularly to communicate with the protesters. Last week, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked the CFIA to study the ostriches' response to the flu rather than cull them. Kennedy, who oversees the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. National Institutes of Health, wrote a letter to CFIA president Paul MacKinnon saying there would be 'significant value' in studying the ostriches' immune response to avian flu. 'It's our hope that this collaboration will help us understand how to better protect human and animal populations and perhaps lead to the development of new vaccines and therapeutics,' Kennedy said in a social media post. The CFIA remains committed to culling the flock, but has not revealed when that will take place, or how. With files from Canadian Press dcarrigg@
Canada Standard
22-05-2025
- Canada Standard
Joint CBSA and RCMP investigation into a human trafficking network leads to sentencing of three individuals
May 22, 2025 Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada Border Services Agency | Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are announcing that three individuals have entered guilty pleas and have been sentenced in connection with a joint investigation into human trafficking and employing foreign nationals without authorization. On April 23, 2025, Christian Vitela pled guilty to employing foreign nationals without authorization under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act . He received a conditional discharge with two years of probation with the condition that he not employ foreign nationals. On February 5, 2024, Mario Roca Morales pled guilty to three counts of human trafficking in violation of the Criminal Code of Canada . On February 27, 2024, he was sentenced to eight and a half years incarceration. On February 14, 2023, Miurel Bracamonte pled guilty to employing a foreign national without authorization, in violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act . Bracamonte received a four-month conditional sentence plus an additional eight months probation. Additionally, she was ordered to pay $2,771 in restitution to the victim. In 2018, the RCMP's Hamilton-Niagara Regional Detachment and the CBSA's Southern Ontario Region began a joint investigation into human trafficking and unauthorized employment of foreign nationals. The foreign nationals entered the country as visitors via Toronto Pearson International Airport, John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport and the Montreal-Trudeau International Airport. The investigation revealed these individuals were trafficked into employment in different lines of work, mostly in the Hamilton-Niagara Region, through employment agencies operated by members of the group who had facilitated their entry into Canada. The foreign nationals were exploited by the group members and their respective companies. RCMP and CBSA, along with the Hamilton Police Service and several other police services in July and September of 2019, conducted eight search warrants in the Golden Horseshoe area, seven in Hamilton and one in Milton. They discovered 84 foreign nationals, living in deplorable conditions, upwards of 25 people living in a single house and others with infestations of bed bugs, cockroaches and other vermin. These search warrants and investigation led to charges of Human Trafficking, Material Benefit and Employing Foreign Nationals Without Authorization being laid in 2021 and 2022. The final court process was completed in April of 2025. If you have information about suspected human trafficking or foreign nationals being illegally employed, please contact the CBSA Border Watch Line at 1-888-502-9060. If you wish to report criminal activity in your area, you can contact your local police, the Ontario RCMP at 1-800-387-0020, or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), at any time.
