Toronto police officer who ate a pot-laced chocolate bar he stole from an illegal dispensary during a raid has been handed a nine-month conditional sentence.
Vittorio Dominelli, who pleaded guilty last month to attempting to obstruct justice, will spend the first six months of his sentence under house arrest and will be under supervision for the last three months.
In explaining her decision, Justice Mary Misener told the court that Dominelli acted recklessly in order to satisfy his curiosity about marijuana.
Dominelli, who has resigned from the force, was part of a team that raided the pot shop on Jan. 27. The 36-year-old officer pocketed several cannabis-oil-infused chocolate bars on his way out of the store.
Court heard that Dominelli and another officer shared some of the chocolate hours later while conducting surveillance outside an after-hours bar and got extremely high.
Dominelli's lawyer argued that his client should be discharged, given that he had already given up his career and been subject to considerable scrutiny, but Misener said that would be contrary to the public interest.