Lawyers spar over sentence for man who almost ran over North Bay police officer

A Brampton man pleaded guilty to assaulting a North Bay police officer with a stolen vehicle while impaired.

Sahibjot Singh was back in court Friday, as a North Bay judge heard sentencing submissions on his guilty plea on six charges, including assaulting police, impaired driving, violating a release order and flight from police.

Singh pled guilty in August in connection with a May 2024 incident in the city in which he struck a city police officer while driving a stolen vehicle.

He was high on heroin and meth at the time and was also facing criminal charges in Brampton. He was originally charged with attempted murder.

The Crown is seeking a five-year sentence, minus pre-trial custody. The defence is arguing Singh should receive an enhanced credit for the 15 months he has already served – 1 ½ days for each day in jail – and be sentenced to time served.

Singh, who came to Canada from India in 2022, said he was enrolled at Canadore College, where he was studying early childhood education at the time of the offence.

“I got into bad company with drugs,” he said Friday, and began using heroin and meth – up to one gram each per day.

He had used both drugs the day of his arrest in North Bay, May 31, 2024.

“I was high on heroin and I was panicking,” Singh said.

“I started hearing voices when I was in North Bay Jail.”

He described conditions at the three institutions where he was held, which included frequent lockdowns and cramped conditions.

Conditions at North Bay weren’t bad, he said, where the food and correctional staff were the best he had dealt with.

He spent 191 days locked up in North Bay, triple-bunked for 99 of those days. Singh said at different points while in jail, he heard voices telling him to hurt himself and others, and he was frequently on suicide watch.

He now takes medication to deal with his symptoms.

“First, I want to say sorry to the police officer -- I hurt him very badly,” Singh said.

“Sorry to the whole public (for) putting their lives in danger, for driving crazy ... I hope they accept my apology.”

His lawyer, Laurie Galway, said Singh has been in custody for 511 days, more than half of the time in lockdown or triple-bunked.

Galway argued he should receive 2-1 credit for time served, considering the conditions he faced in jail. He has been forthright about his guilt and had no criminal record before he got involved in the drug scene in North Bay.

“It’s not a slap on the wrist -- he has essentially served his time,” Galway said.

Will be deported

Once he is released, he can be deported back to India, but must stay here while he is in jail, Galway added.

But assistant Crown Abby Agitch argued Singh’s behaviour put many people at risk and a strong message against drugged driving must be sent.

“We need action and exemplary sentences where appropriate,” Agitch said.

Singh’s actions also traumatized the North Bay police officer, who will deal with PTSD for the rest of his life because of what Singh did, she added.

“Mr. Singh was unlicenced and was on a release order not to be driving at the time -- another statutory, aggravating factor.”

Ontario Court Justice Erin Lainevool will hand down her sentence at a hearing Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.