A man who violently beat a Sikh man who was visiting Quebec City back in March has been sentenced to 10 months jail time.
Gabriel Royer-Tremblay, 22, was convicted of assault for punching and kicking Toronto resident Supninder Singh Khehra on a street in Quebec City on the night of March 26.
Khehra told CTV News at the time that Tremblay and two of his friends shouted and swore at him in French and pointed at his turban, before he was punched in the eye and kicked.
Khehra said his turban flew off of his head during the assault.
Police arrived at the scene a short time later and arrested Tremblay and another man, who was later released without charges.
The incident drew widespread condemnation in Canada, including Prime Minister Trudeau, who told reporters at the time that such “hateful acts” have “no place in Canada.”
Royer-Tremblay was also convicted of several other offences, including obstructing police and methamphetamine possession.
His lawyer, Benoit Labrecque, told CTV News Toronto that six months of the sentence was for the assault against Khehra, and the other four were tied to the other offences. Royer-Tremblay was also given two years’ probation.
The crown had sought a total jail term of 18 months, while Labrecque argued for a 90 day jail stint served on weekends.
Khehra submitted a victim impact statement to the court that said he no longer feels safe when walking alone on the street, and is coping with a great deal of stress related to the incident.
With credit for pre-trial custody, Royer-Tremblay will spend eight more months in jail.
