I must admit I thoroughly enjoy judges who make great decisions while metaphorically slapping criminals upside the head for their own stupidity. The latest example is Quebec Court Judge Dennis Galiatsatos’ April 14th decision denying Ahmad Kadoura’s bail application.
On April 6, 2020, a Montreal SWAT team arrested Ahmad Kadoura, an 18-year-old thug, with a loaded pistol whose serial number was removed. Kadoura now faces charges of extortion and illegal possession of a loaded handgun, with the possibility of more charges to come.
Major cities across Canada face an ongoing threat from gang members who, like Ahmad Kadoura, care far more about their gangster image than public safety. It is only fitting he be denied bail until his trial, even at the risk of catching COVID-19 while incarcerated.
At his bail hearing, Kadoura argued he should be released because he could not adhere to the government’s social distancing requirements while in custody.
Unfortunately for the young thug, police witnessed him blatantly and repeatedly disregarding those same social distancing measures before his arrest.
Judge Dennis Galiatsatos noted the hypocrisy of the young man’s attempt to use the COVID-19 crisis to gain his release from jail.
“The court … recognizes that detaining the accused augments the risks of getting the coronavirus. It is clear that the efforts of social distancing will be difficult in detention. However, even in liberty, Mr. Kadoura did not respect elementary [social distancing] precautions. It is therefore a little ironic to invoke the risk of transmission in detention to support his request to be granted bail.”
Judge Galiatsatos also noted the loaded handgun recovered from the glove compartment of the car he was driving appears to be the same gun he was holding while he “performed” in a YouTube video with other gang members.
The Montreal Gazette article references Judge Galiatsatos’ 26-page decision denying bail, but it could not be found on Canada’s Legal Information Institute’s online database, CANLII.org.
If/when the decision is published I will update this article with more quotes from the decision. I’m sure there is more good stuff hidden away in those 26 pages.
A sane judge in Canada is a rarity. Not to be found in BC as I know.
Thanks, Christopher
Jettie
In this case the media’s wording “firearm” instead of weapon is insulting to law abiding citizens. I do not own weapons, I have a firearm which I use at the range to target shoot or hunt with regardless of the type, I follow the laws. I do not carry around a pistol to hunt dear. It would be interesting to see the outcome if a duck hunter was caught with more than 3 rounds in their shot gun. If I stab you in the eye with a pen intentionally than that pen would be regarded as a weapon. Well that being said the pen can be mightier than the sword (even the sword is not a weapon unless I use it to harm or kill) … oh crap here we go. Yes I deliberately avoided using pen and is together.