Man used COVID as excuse to avoid court
Article Date: July 8, 2021
Written By: Susan Gamble
Article Link: Click here
Defence lawyer Jesse Dostal represented a 38-year-old Six Nations man convicted of raping his cousin, who repeatedly avoided court appearances by claiming COVID-19 exposure. Despite his client’s efforts to delay proceedings, Dostal highlighted the man's troubled past, including alcohol addiction and personal tragedies, in a bid for leniency. However, Justice Gethin Edward dismissed the defence’s request for a conditional sentence and emphasized the severe impact on the victim and the community, ultimately sentencing the man to three years in prison. When the defendant failed to surrender as ordered, Dostal acknowledged his client’s evasiveness, leading the judge to issue a warrant and place the man on the sexual offender’s registry for 20 years.
