New BrunswickA Codiac RCMP officer who assaulted a man whose hands and feet were bound during an arrest three years ago has been sentenced to four months in jail.Billy Parent-Roy had been found guilty of assault causing bodily harm over 2022 arrestConst. Billy Parent-Roy appeared in Moncton provincial court Monday for his sentencing hearing, at which he spoke briefly about being proud of his integrity and professionalism at work. (Rachel Gauvin/Radio-Canada)A Codiac RCMP officer who assaulted a man whose hands and feet were bound during an arrest three years ago has been sentenced to four months in jail.Judge Ronald LeBlanc sentenced Const. Billy Parent-Roy in Moncton provincial court Monday.After the sentence was imposed, Parent-Roy was immediately handcuffed by a sheriff and escorted out of the courtroom, as his relatives wept.In March, Parent-Roy was found guilty of assault causing bodily harm to Craig Hachey while detaining him at the Shediac RCMP detachment on June 29, 2022, under the Intoxicated Persons Detention Act.Surveillance footage from inside the detachment, which the judge viewed during the trial, showed the officer using physical force multiple times in the minutes it took to transport Hachey from a police vehicle to a holding cell.WATCH: Past news item including surveillance video of incident: Codiac RCMP officer who assaulted man in 2022 to be sentenced in OctoberDuring the trial, Judge Ronald LeBlanc reviewed this security footage of Const. Billy Parent-Roy assaulting Craig Hachey at the Shediac RCMP detachment in 2022.Parent-Roy can be seen punching Hachey repeatedly, kneeing him in the chest, grabbing him by the neck and putting his entire body weight on his calves.The Crown had recommended a sentence of 30 to 60 days in jail, followed by a one-year probation period.The defence instead recommended an absolute discharge, which would ensure that the conviction would not appear on Parent-Roy’s criminal record.’Quite serious’In delivering his sentence, the judge described the offence committed by the officer as “quite serious” and a breach of trust. He noted that Parent-Roy used excessive force, inflicting 12 blows on the victim, who had handcuffs on his wrists and chains on his feet.LeBlanc also noted that the victim, who was arrested in Moncton on suspicion of being drunk on a public highway, suffered injuries.The judge cited mitigating factors, however, including Parent-Roy’s positive reputation among his colleagues. LeBlanc said he had received several letters of support from members of the RCMP and read some excerpts aloud in court.The maximum sentence for assault causing bodily harm is 10 years in prison. There is no minimum.Defence lawyer Gilles Lemieux told reporters outside the courthouse he was disappointed by the sentence and intends to appeal.With files from Radio-Canada
Codiac RCMP officer who assaulted handcuffed man sentenced to 4 months in jail
