One of the two Windsor men who were found heavily armed in a crashed vehicle on Highway 3 in 2017 has been sentenced to two years less a day for weapons offences — while questions of his motives remain unanswered.
Satvir Singh, 23, stood before Justice Lloyd Dean in court on Wednesday — about 21 months since the 2017 collision when Singh was discovered to be wearing a bandolier of shotgun shells and keeping a loaded sawed-off shotgun under his car seat.
“It’s not entirely clear what Mr. Singh was up to that day, but clearly it was not anything good,” Dean told the court. “That is as far as we can go with it.”
Dean said it would be inappropriate to speculate without further evidence, and noted that a trial is pending for the second man in the vehicle, Tariq Elamin.
The two men were in a dark Lexus sedan involved in a head-on collision with a Volkswagen sedan on the morning of April 26, 2017.
Singh was the driver of the Lexus.
Along with Singh’s shotgun, the passenger of the Lexus was found to be carrying an assault-style rifle with a folding stock, laser sight, pistol grip, and 19-round magazine.
Outside the courthouse on Wednesday, Singh’s lawyer Maria Carroccia said her client comes from a good family.
“He regrets ever having involved himself in something like this,” Carroccia said.
But Carroccia had few answers regarding where Singh was driving at the time of the collision, or the reason he and his passenger had weapons.
“I can’t tell you for certain where he was going. I know there have been reports about St. Clair College. I can tell you he was not going there,” Carroccia told media.
Asked directly why Singh was armed in such a manner, Carroccia replied: “I don’t know. I can’t answer that for you.”
Carroccia said her client was disoriented by the crash, and has “very little recollection” of the events leading up to the accident.
Justice Dean told the court that the discovery of the firearms “caused panic at the scene,” but there was “never any clear threat” that the weapons might be used against emergency responders.
Singh — who was injured in the collision and found to be under the influence of drugs — was arrested and charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, carrying a prohibited weapon in a careless manner and possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition.
Dean noted that Singh pleaded guilty at his first opportunity. “I take it as a sign of remorse.”
Although a pre-sentence report suggested that Singh “lacks insight” into his crime, Dean said he appreciates that to be the opinion of the report’s author.
Essex County OPP officers examine the dark-coloured Lexus that collided with another vehicle on Highway 3 on April 26, 2017. The driver of the vehicle, Satvir Singh, and his passenger, Tariq Elamin, were both found to be armed with guns.
Other mitigating factors Dean considered were that Singh is a first-time offender, is employed full-time with a good job and is relatively young.
“The court’s mind is taken to whether or not there are good prospects for rehabilitation,” Dean said.
“He appears to be doing well and is a good worker.”
According to Carroccia, Singh is employed at a local factory.
But Dean also acknowledged the seriousness of the offences, and said he agrees with the Crown that the type of weapon in Singh’s possession “cannot be considered to be used for anything but a bad purpose.”
The Crown was seeking a sentence of three years in prison — the maximum of the range for Singh’s charges.
Singh’s lawyer Carroccia suggested 18 months to two years, bearing in mind the 15 days that Singh spent in custody after the crash, and the 20 months Singh has spent under house arrest.
Dean settled on giving Singh 23 days credit for the time already spent in custody and six months credit for his time under strict bail conditions.
Singh’s actual sentence was two years less a day, plus the time credited to him, as formulated by Dean.
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The sentence means Singh will be spared federal prison time — instead serving his sentence in a provincial correctional centre.
Upon his release, Singh will begin a three-year probation order.
Conditions of his probation will include regularly reporting to a probation officer, seeking counselling as directed by that probation officer and having no communication with Tariq Elamin.
Dean said he believes the sentence and probation order will serve the community better than sentencing Singh to three years federal time and Singh returning to the community on parole.
Dean urged Singh to “turn away from this type of activity” and “leave this life of crime.”
“There are people that love you,” Dean noted.
A group of family members attended the sentencing, and Singh was allowed to embrace each of them before entering custody.
The women of the group could be seen wiping tears from their eyes throughout the sentencing.
“I’ll be all right,” Singh told them.
Dean wished good luck and best wishes to the family.
The scene of the crash between a Lexus and a Volkswagen sedan on Highway 3 on the morning of April 26, 2017.
An OPP officer examines the interior of the crashed Lexus sedan driven by Satvir Singh on the morning of April 26, 2017. Singh and his passenger were found to have firearms in their possession: a sawed-off shotgun for Singh, and an assault rifle for his passenger.