Man pleads guilty from grocery store checkout line
Judge not impressed: ‘This is a court proceeding’
Afew words of advice to anyone with a case pending in a Niagara court — don’t go shopping at the same time you’re scheduled to appear in audio court.
While courtrooms are slowly reopening in phases, a number of cases are held over audio conference, with defendants calling in to deal with their matters.
Jordan Stout on Wednesday called in to Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines and pleaded guilty to several charges.
As the Crown relayed details of his offences to the judge, the phone line was filled with background noise of people chatting as well as what appeared to be messages broadcast from a store’s PA system.
When Judge Cameron Watson enquired as to where Stout was calling from, he learned the defendant was in a grocery store in St. Catharines.
“I’m actually just in the middle
of the grocery store checkout line,” the 35-year-old said.
That didn’t sit well with the judge.
“With all due respect sir, this is a court proceeding,” Watson
told him.
“Although you are entitled to appear virtually due to the pandemic, checking out in the grocery store is not really appropriate.”
Stout apologized and said he’d have someone else pay for his purchases and would leave the store and have a cigarette.
That response also didn’t impress the judge.
“Put your cigarette out, because I wouldn’t allow you to smoke if you were in my courtroom and you are in my courtroom even though you are outside.”
Stout was granted a suspended sentence and placed on probation for two years after he pleaded guilty to the offences, including mischief.
Police were called to Seaway Motel in Port Colborne in March 2019 after two guests had trashed a room.
Court heard the duo caused $4,500 in damage after the manager had requested they keep the noise down.