BRACEBRIDGE – An Almaguin OPP officer pleaded guilty to driving impaired by alcohol and failing to provide a breath sample.
Jaak Valiots, 44, was charged with the offences when Huntsville police found him stuck in a ditch on Highway 141 in Utterson just after 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, said Crown attorney Lyndsay Jeanes at Bracebridge criminal court June 28.
Off-duty at the time, Valiots “was speaking slowly with a slightly slurred speech, had a strong odour of alcohol on his breath and glassy eyes and made slow movements,” Jeanes said.
When the officer asked Valiots to exit his vehicle, he stumbled.
“He started to walk toward the road and slipped, grabbing the side of his vehicle for support,” said Jeanes.
Valiots was arrested and transported to the Huntsville OPP detachment, where he refused to give a breath sample, as the law requires.
Two days after the incident, Huntsville OPP released a statement saying Valiots would appear in Huntsville court on July 20. Instead he appeared in Bracebridge court almost a month earlier.
“My client has already taken steps to deal with what may be a problem,” defence lawyer Peter Ward said, not elaborating on what those ‘steps’ might be.
He did say that Valiots would be applying to participate in the ignition interlock program.
An OPP detective accompanied him to the courthouse.
“I apologize for wasting the court’s time and apologize, it will never happen again,” Valiots said.
Judge JD Evans gave Valiots $2,600 in fines to be paid within 30 days and a one-year driving prohibition.
According to Sergeant Peter Leon, provincial media relations co-ordinator OPP corporate communications, once the criminal charges are resolved in court the Professional Standards Bureau takes up the matter and a determination regarding action will be made according to the Police Services Act.
"He’s been reassigned to other duties inside the detachment," Leon said.
It is not known at this time what other internal actions may be taken by the OPP.
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