T.O. cop an 'idiot' for eating seized cannabis-oil infused chocolate: Judge
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A Toronto cop who overdosed on cannabis-oil infused chocolate seized in a police raid thought he could die so he called for emergency help on his police radio, court heard.
Vittorio Dominelli pleaded guilty Friday to attempting to obstruct justice in front of Justice Mary Misener, who called the 13-year veteran “a complete idiot.”
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“Call it stupidity or silliness, when you interfere with evidence the impact on the justice system is just so profound,” the judge said.
Dominelli admitted taking three cannabis-oil infused chocolate bars from the floor of a dispensary in 13 Division that officers raided on Jan. 27.
In an ironic twist, Dominelli, 36, had planned to dump the three bars but didn’t because he feared someone could get sick consuming it. Instead he decided to eat one bar with his partner Const. Jamie Young, court heard.
“I’m down if you are,” Dominelli claims Young said to him.
He and Young consumed a whole bar within 15 minutes, which violated the safe-consumption instructions marked on the treat’s label.
“After about 20 minutes, the chocolates hit me suddenly like a ton of bricks…I believed I was going to pass out,” Dominelli recalled in his statement. “I started to think that the chocolate may have been laced with something because it seemed impossible that a marijuana product would have such a powerful effect.”
“I started thinking about my children and my wife and the prospect that if the chocolate was laced that I could die,” said Dominelli, who stated neither he nor Young had ever tried marijuana before. “I realized instantly what a stupid thing we had done.”
Dominelli made the radio call for help and a female police officer rushing to the scene at Oakwood Ave. slipped and suffered a concussion. She still suffers difficulties with speech and vision and has yet to return to work, court heard.
Dominelli, who quit the Toronto Police Service on Wednesday, “was ashamed of his conduct…and wanted to resolve the matter quickly before any charges were laid,” said Crown attorney Philip Perlmutter.
“Dominelli almost immediately agreed to plead guilty and resign from the TPS,” said Perlmutter, who is seeking a 21-month conditional sentence, with 10 months of house arrest.
A conditional sentence would result in a conviction.
Dominelli’s actions endangered both citizens and police officers, diverted scarce police resources to a situation created by his stupid choice and triggered the withdrawal of all charges against the dispensary accused, said Perlmutter.
“He knew admitting his mistake and poor judgment was the right thing to do and was prepared to resign,” said his lawyer Peter Brauti, who is seeking a conditional discharge and 200 hours of community service.
Dominelli has already performed 40 hours of community service.
A conditional discharge would leave him with no criminal record, said Brauti.
Dominelli rose in court and gave an impassioned apology.
He will be back in court on Nov. 15 to set a date for the passing of sentence.
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