BY KEITH LACEY
[email protected]
A hearing is underway to determine whether a local man with a lifelong history of criminal behaviour, including numerous convictions for violence, should be declared a dangerous offender.
Donald Kocurek, 35, has spent most of his adult life behind bars for repeated criminal activity and has accumulated more than three dozen convictions, including convictions for sexual assault, robbery and numerous convictions for aggravated assault and assault with a weapon.
The hearing, which is expected to last up to four weeks, started Monday at the Sudbury courthouse.
Similar to past court appearances, Kocurek was escorted to the courthouse from the adjacent Sudbury District Jail by members of the Greater Sudbury Police Tactical Unit.
Kocurek has a history of acting out during court appearances and was again very agitated before the dangerous offender hearing began. Two officers from the tactical unit sat on either side of Kocurek in the prisoner's box, while four other officers spent the day waiting outside while evidence was being introduced.
Justice Louise Gauthier of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice will determine if Kocurek should be declared a dangerous offender. Such a designation could result in Kocurek being incarcerated indefinitely.
Gauthier could also declare Kocurek a long-term offender, which would allow police the authority to closely monitor him over a designated period of time if and when he's released from prison.
The man has been in custody for more than three years after an incident where he was convicted of trying to run down members of the Greater Sudbury Police after stealing a truck in March of 2003.
Kocurek led police on a lengthy high-speed chase in a stolen truck. During the altercation, police fired five times at Kocurek after an officer feared for his life as the truck drove towards him.
None of the bullets struck Kocurek.
Kocurek was convicted of stealing the truck, dangerous driving, resisting arrest, assault with a weapon, possessing cocaine and breaching court orders.
He also faces assault charges from last spring after allegations he scuffled with court security guards after a court appearance and spit at an officer.
Two probation officers testified Monday.
The first probation officer testified he believed Kocurek will continue to commit serious criminal offences until he addresses serious problems with anger management, substance abuse and selecting "poor associates" as friends when he's not in jail.
Kocurek also "acts out inappropriately for no apparent reason," he testified.
A second probation officer testified she interviewed Kocurek numerous times back in 1998 and he bragged about his criminal behaviour starting at an early age.
"I stole everything that wasn't nailed down...I did what I wanted when I wanted and no one could stop me," he told the officer.
"He felt a need to control and intimidate others...the more control he had, the better it made him feel," she said. "Those were his exact words."
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