Five years for Clementsport man

Justin Dempster was not happy on the day of his sentencing in Digby.

The 26-year-old Clementsport man entered the Digby provincial courthouse Sept. 20 cursing at police officers and sheriffs and making rude gestures with his fingers despite handcuffed wrists.

Darren McLeod, defense lawyer for Dempster, entered guilty pleas on 20 charges including six break and enters, two thefts of a motor vehicle, three assaults against police and sheriffs and one attempted escape.

Dempster paid little attention to the formal reading of the charges and instead attempted to carry on a silent, smirky conversation with a young woman in the front row.

About an hour into the proceedings, sheriffs approached the woman and then the woman and sheriffs stepped out of the courtroom.

While they were gone, Dempster gestured for his lawyer and Dempster and McLeod’s conversation interrupted the formal reading of the statement of facts by Crown attorney Rosalind Michie.

When the sheriff and the woman returned moments later, Dempster said “It’s OK,” and McLeod returned to his seat.

But then a few minutes later, sheriffs approached the young woman again and Dempster stood up.

“There’s no reason for those guys to keep bothering her,” he shouted and pointed in the direction of the audience. “She’s not causing a problem where she has no phone. Why they keep bothering her? She has a right to be here. She’s just here observing. Your honour, you know – hey your honour, your honour, can I talk to you?”

Judge Timothy Landry was on his way out of the courtroom and said, “you’ll have to go with the sheriffs now.”

The sheriffs escorted Dempster from the courtroom while Dempster turned to members of the audience and invited them to fight.

“You guys can come down. You don’t know who you’re messing with. I’m Justin Dempster.”

Court resumed a half hour later with the woman sitting again in the front row but looking straight ahead.

Dempster occasionally looked her way but mostly hung his head and scratched his close shaven head or slouched back with his arms stretched across the back of the bench.

Judge Landry agreed with a joint recommendation from the Crown and defense that Dempster serve six years minus one year for time served.

Dempster has been in custody for ten months since he was arrested Nov. 17, 2015.

Judge Landry also imposed a 10- year firearms prohibition and two restitution orders.

Dempster was ordered to repay $ 6,000 to one vehicle owner and $ 3,500 to another.

Dempster was quieter on his way out of the courthouse but continued to gesture with his fingers to the police and sheriffs in the courtyard.