Cop to return to court for sentencing

A teenager who claimed he was traumatized and unable to drive for weeks after being slapped by a police officer during a traffic stop received a speeding ticket two days after the incident, court heard Thursday.

In a victim impact statement presented in Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines in the assault case of Const. Ken Schonewille, the teen said his interaction with the officer left him feeling “stunned and confused.”

“It hit me hard emotionally,” the statement read.

Schonewille was charged with assault following an investigation into an incident which occurred Oct. 9, 2017, in Lincoln.

Defence lawyer Harry Black called into question the credibility of the teen’s statement, saying it was “riddled with untruths.”

Two days after the altercation with Schonewille, the youth was stopped by police for speeding near a school.

“It’s a pretty serious thing to make up a fake story,” he told Judge Joseph De Filippis.

Black asked the judge to impose an absolute discharge in the matter, saying his client has had an exemplary policing career and is heavily involved in his community.

An absolute discharge would mean there is a finding of guilt but the conviction is not registered.

“He has keenly felt the embarrassment of this process. He has paid the price. I ask, rhetorically, how much to we punish?”

Assistant Crown attorney Mark Dean argued a conditional discharge — it would include conditions such as a term of probation — is a more suitable disposition.

The judge is expected to deliver his sentence next Tuesday.