2013 October 29

Astley v. Verdun, 2013 ONSC 6734

The Ontario Supreme Court found the defendant Verdun in contempt of court for breaching a very broad injunction granted at the defamation trial which prohibited Verdun from communicating with anyone about the plaintiff Astley. The Court sentenced the defendant to a “conditional sentence of 90 days during which he will be under house arrest.” During the 90 day conditional sentence of house arrest, the defendant would only be permitted to leave his house for medical emergencies, grocery trips, and to attend his conditional sentence supervisor. The Court declined to impose a fine on the basis that several monetary awards had not yet been paid to the plaintiff, who should have first call on the defendant’s assets before the Court. The Court also imposed a probation order on Verdun, requiring that he be supervised for an 18 month period and perform 200 hours of community service. Verdun was also ordered to appear before the sentencing judge periodically to monitor his progress, commencing at the end of the 90 day’s house arrest, and would be required to report to a probation officer.