In his first comments since the gas plants trial began, David Livingston apologized to his family, friends and colleagues.
The 65-year-old former political staffer spoke to court in his sentencing hearing Tuesday, saying that in hindsight, he would have acted differently as chief of staff to former premier Dalton McGuinty.
Livingston was convicted of unauthorized use of a computer in relation to the deletion of documents that could have been embarassing to the Liberal government.
Keeping his head down while he read his statement, Livingston told court that he is sure his successors have learned from his experiences.
"I apologize to my friends and family for the anguish I have put them through," he said. "And I apologize to all my colleagues for the strain of direct or indirect involvement in this trial."
He added that he regrets the time and money that it has cost to investigate and prosecute the case.
His defence team is asking for a conditional discharge with community service hours. The Crown argues he should spend six months behind bars.
A decision on the sentence is expected on April 11th.