A man who pleaded guilty to unlawfully wearing a military uniform and medals during last year's Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa has been sentenced to 12 months of probation and 50 hours of community service.
Franck Gervais was sentenced Tuesday morning in an Ottawa court. Before his sentence was delivered, Gervais apologized to the Canadian Forces, who he called the "true" heroes of the military.
During his tearful apology, he told the court that his actions weren't meant to be malicious, and that he was simply trying to honour the people he most looked up to, CTV Ottawa's Matt Skube reported Tuesday from the courthouse.
Gervais' attorney, Claude Levesque, said his client now understands how his actions were offensive.
"He recognized that the actions he made on Nov. 11, 2014, were not appropriate -- they were misguided, and for that he apologized," Levesque said.
During the sentencing, Levesque laid out what Gervais has been doing to try making amends in the past few months.
He met with the Dominion Secretary of the Royal Canadian Legion to apologize for his actions, and last weekend, he toured the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa with a retired general.
At the cemetery, Gervais laid poppies on the graves of soldiers who had died while serving in Afghanistan.
Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O’Toole said Monday that he was “pleased to see there is a legal process in place to protect the uniform and remind us that men and women in the Canadian Armed Forces put their lives at risk to keep our nation strong, proud and free."
Gervais pleaded guilty in March to two charges of wearing a military uniform and medals, which he wore despite never serving in the Canadian Forces.
Last November, he appeared in a TV interview wearing a soldier's uniform. After the interview aired, veterans and members of the Canadian Forces questioned his identity.
With files from CTV Ottawa and CFRA Ottawa
