Christopher Sura Johnson, 41, was found guilty of assault with a weapon and dangerous driving for the 2023 incident in front of the B.C. legislature
A man found guilty of assault with a weapon and dangerous operation of a vehicle for driving his car at a pro-Palestinian demonstrator was given a one-year jail sentence Thursday, along with a 10-year driving ban.
Christopher Sura Johnson, 41, was also handed three years of probation for the Dec. 3, 2023, incident at the legislature.
He will have 86 days subtracted from his jail sentence for time already served in custody.
Crown counsel Tim Stokes had called for a 3.5- to four-year sentence on the charge of assault with a weapon and a concurrent 18 months for dangerous driving, while defence lawyer Roisin Neary wanted a two-year conditional sentence.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Gareth Morley said at Thursday’s hearing he was satisfied that Johnson didn’t intend to hit protester Omar Babili, but noted Babili had to run out of the way to stay clear of the vehicle.
Babili was holding a Palestinian flag at the time, Morley said, and Johnson wanted to intimidate and scare him.
Johnson also made derogatory and racist comments like “Go back to Jordan” to the protesters, Morley said.
It was revealed during Johnson’s sentencing hearing last month that earlier on the day of the incident at the demonstration against military action in Gaza, he had gone to a local mosque and confronted a family.
Morley said Babili “had every right to protest” and to be at the legislature, and was traumatized by Johnson’s actions.
He said the local Muslim community was also affected and issued a statement saying that the incident had “a profound impact” on community members, causing many of them to live in fear.
In handing down the jail sentence, Morley said he considered Johnson’s criminal and driving records, including a previous assault conviction in 2010 for driving at someone.
In that case, a woman suffered a broken leg and a concussion.
He said Johnson had been a heavy drug user, which could be affecting his mental health.
He spent time in a psychiatric facility in the past, and Morley noted that Johnson has what a psychiatrist called “complex” mental-health concerns, including an issue with “impulsive rage.”
“Mr. Johnson has just begun to get insight into his mental problems,” he said.
A psychiatric assessment of Johnson concluded he is at moderate-to-high risk of violent conduct in the next six months to a year.
He has also taken some responsibility for what he did, Morley said, and has said he is “deeply sorry and regretful” for the incident.
Morley told Johnson he has the potential to turn his life around if he works on his personal problems.
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