By Keith Lacey
A father of four with a long history of drunk driving and drug possession convictions is likely looking at a jail sentence when he returns to court for sentencing Oct. 21.
Miro Brkic pleaded guilty Monday to having too much alcohol in his system and possessing a small amount of marijuana last December when caught by police July 30, 2001.
Defence counsel Glenn Sandberg asked that a pre-sentence report be prepared before his client is sentenced.
Brkic was stopped at an OPP spotcheck, and when an officer detected the odour of alcohol, Brkic told him he?d had two beers.
The officer didn?t believe him, ordered Brkic to provide a sample into a roadside screening device, which he failed.
Two breathalyser tests revealed he had twice the amount of alcohol allowed in Canada to operate a motor vehicle.
On Dec. 17, the accused was found intoxicated at a downtown hotel. Police searched him and found Brkic had about three grams of marijuana in his possession.
Brkic has taken steps to address his longstanding drug problem and is undertaking counselling, said defence counsel Glenn Sandberg.
?His drug problem is longstanding, but he is taking steps to address his problems,? he said.
Court heard Brkic has several previous drug-related convictions.
Federal Crown prosecutor Robert Topp asked the court to impose a $750 sentence on the drug conviction, while Sandberg asked the fine to be in the $300 to $500 range, noting his client has found full-time work the past five months.
Fitzgerald will rule on the amount of the fine and penalties relating to the drunk driving conviction when the accused returns to court in late October.
