OTTAWA – Political strategist Nick Kouvalis and an unsuccessful Ontario PC nominee are facing charges after allegedly breaking into a Burlington, Ont. Kelseys restaurant after hours.
Kouvalis and Sarah Warry-Poljanski were arrested Sept. 26 after being found inside the restaurant around 2 a.m.
Police could not confirm whether they had taken beverages, though they "appeared" intoxicated, Halton Regional Police Service Const. Colin MacLeod told CP24.
He said the restaurant alarm had been set off. The pair were held by police until they sobered up.
Both are facing breaking and entering charges.
The incident occurred one day after Warry-Poljanski lost the PC nomination for the provincial Hamilton Mountain riding.
Kouvalis is being represented by Toronto criminal lawyer Dirk Derstine, and Warry-Poljanski is being represented by Hamilton criminal lawyer Peter Boushy.
The two defence lawyers have a resolution meeting scheduled with the Crown for 2 p.m. on Feb. 14 at the Milton courthouse, where Boushy said he is "hopeful that the matter will be amicably resolved."
"It’s important to remember that Sarah is presumed innocent and that in this particular case there is absolutely no criminal intent," he told CTV News.
Kouvalis and Warry-Poljanski have already appeared together in court twice on this matter.
Derstine told CTV News that Kouvalis does not deny being inside the Kelseys that evening, and he is sorry for any "disruption" that may have been caused.
Kouvalis' defence lawyer also said that Kouvalis "absolutely denies" there was any criminal intent.
Kouvalis managed Kellie Leitch’s federal Conservative leadership campaign until he had to resign in Feb. 2017, saying he had "become a distraction" after having to apologize for using offensive language.
That was the second time Kouvalis resigned from Leitch’s team. In April 2016, he quit her campaign after being charged with impaired driving. He said at the time he'd been struggling with alcohol addiction since 2011.
Kouvalis also ran Rob Ford’s successful 2010 mayoral campaign in Toronto.
Warry-Poljanski is a self-described addictions counsellor and activist who has been outspoken about Ontario hydro costs, among other issues.
These charges have not been proven in court.
