Judge Joe Patrick Paul Fiorucci of the Ontario Court of Justice handed down a 15-month prison sentence to Harpreet Singh on September 15, shutting the door on a legal strategy designed to keep the 30-year-old permanent resident in Canada. Singh’s defense team had argued for a reduction to 182 days, a specific threshold that, if met, would have allowed him to appeal a future removal order before the Immigration Appeal Division. Fiorucci dismissed the maneuver. “Such a sentence would be neither fit nor proportionate,” the judge wrote in his ruling, citing reports from the National Post.
The conviction stems from an incident on May 1, 2023, when Singh encountered a 15-year-old girl on a city bus in Ontario. According to court documents, the two strangers alighted at the same stop around 11:23 pm. Singh then followed the teenager onto a dark trail, grabbed her by the collar and hair, and exposed himself while displaying explicit material on his phone. The girl fought back, elbowing and pushing him before fleeing. In her statement, she described the assault as “humiliating, terrifying, and deeply violating,” noting that the trauma had shattered her sense of safety in her community.
Singh’s lawyer argued that a sentence of six months or more on any count would trigger severe immigration consequences, potentially barring Singh from seeking humanitarian relief. The judge acknowledged the weight of these consequences but refused to let them dictate the verdict. “While immigration consequences are entitled to serious consideration, they cannot be permitted to dominate the sentencing exercise or create a separate sentencing regime for offenders facing possible removal from Canada,” Fiorucci stated. He characterized Singh’s conduct as deliberate, predatory, and highly aggravating, given the vulnerability of the victim.
Mitigating factors included Singh’s status as a first-time offender, his unemployment, and his completion of counselling with a social worker. A social worker assessed his risk of reoffending as low, noting his participation in treatment helped him understand boundaries and accept responsibility. Family members and a friend submitted letters describing him as honest, hardworking, and respectful. Singh had been attempting to arrange a marriage, but those plans were suspended during the trial. Despite these positive indicators, the judge determined the harm caused to the victim necessitated a substantial custodial term.
Singh will serve 15 months in prison followed by three years of probation. The 15-month term exceeds the six-month threshold that typically triggers mandatory deportation reviews for serious criminality in Canada. Immigration officials will review his status upon his release, and Singh will no longer have the specific procedural avenue his lawyers sought to preserve.