A stunt-driving case involving three international students from last spring has reached a quick – though not nearly the 200 km/h speeds the three vehicles were travelling on the night in question – resolution in a Barrie courtroom.
Adnan Arshad, Muhammad Shahab and Ali Shehzad, who all came to Canada as teenagers on international student visas from Saudi Arabia, have pleaded guilty to stunt-driving charges. They each received a $2,000 fine and a year-long driving suspension.
“We are all very sorry, your honour,” Shahab, 25, said via his video link.
It was just past midnight on April 14 when Ontario Provincial Police received multiple calls that a BMW, Camry and Honda, all without licence plates, were racing northbound at dangerous speeds on Highway 400 near the King Road interchange in York Region.
The cars were weaving in and out of traffic and driving on the shoulder.
Police caught up to two of the three vehicles farther north by the Highway 88 exit, but the third driver managed to escape.
That driver, Arshad, was compelled to come back to the scene when the other two men provided police with his name and contact details.
Arshad, Shahab and Shehzad all arrived in Canada less than a decade ago on student visas, though none are in school at present, court heard. Only Shahab is working and it was not made clear how the other two are supporting themselves.
Shehzad, 23, has claimed refugee status to remain, while Arshad, 26, and Shehzad are in Canada on temporary visas.
All three expressed their regret to the court.
Through their paralegal, who represented all three men on Tuesday, the men said that they plan to remain in Canada. They joined the court proceedings by video link from Winnipeg, where they are all based.
All three had Manitoba driver's licences at the time of the incident, but it was also not made clear during Tuesday’s proceedings why they were travelling in Ontario in April, or where they were headed when they were detained by police.
All three men returned to Winnipeg soon after and completed a safe-driving course on Sept. 11, ahead of facing charges, court heard.
Critically for their chances of remaining in Canada, the Crown withdrew criminal charges.
The men were given 90 days to pay the fine and victim surcharge.
