A veteran judge told a teenager if he ever returns to court again as an accused person heÂ?s going to jail.
While holding his index finger and thumb about an inch apart, Ontario Justice Guy Mahaffy told Clinton Haggart, 19, Â?you came this close to going to jail,Â? after sentencing the teenager to 12 months of house arrest and another year of probation.
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Haggart pleaded guilty to participating in three break and enters, and then stealing one vehicle and damaging a total of three vehicles in Garson and Capreol during a three-week crime spree last March and April.
Haggart had no previous criminal record until he got involved in a rash of criminal activity with another man, a male young offender, and teenage girl.
The offenders were apparently under the influence of alcohol and drugs during the crime spree.
Court heard there was very little evidence against Haggart at the various crime scenes, and that he was only caught after a co-accused implicated him in the crimes.
Since being released on bail last April, Haggart has not breached any conditions of bail and started a full-time job, court heard.
In all the circumstances, a conditional sentence is appropriate, said Mahaffy.
However, the judge refused a defence counsel request that would allow Haggart to spend time at the family cottage this summer. He will have to spend his entire 12-month sentence under house arrest except to attend work and medical emergencies.
HeÂ?s not even allowed to be out in the yard during the warm weather months, said Mahaffy. He did allow Haggart four hours each Saturday morning to shop for the necessities of life.
Haggart was also banned from consuming alcohol and non-prescription drugs, accept any counselling as recommended by his probation officer and not associate in any way with his co-accused in this case.
