A Quebec man living in Jasper has been fined $1,200 and will lose his driver’s license for a year after he finally came to court to deal with an alcohol fueled incident that happened in 2006.

According to Crown Prosecutor David Clifton, Frederick Legault was driving near Burns Lake, British Columbia on January 14, 2006 when he was stopped by police on suspicion of drunk driving. Legault put his lips on the police’s breathalyzer but he refused to blow into the machine to give a proper reading. He was charged with refusing to give a breath sample when reasonably requested to do so by the police.

Legault then failed to appear before court on the matter when he was scheduled to do so several years ago.

On May 13, 2010, Legault told the court that he suspected the police may have been picking on him, but he admitted guilt to the charge.

He also told the court that police in Burns Lake had told him that if he pleaded guilty, he would be fined $600 and get six months of probation. The substantially higher fine and loss of his license were a surprise to him.

Judge Don Norheim told him the police don’t set punishments in these cases. He does.

Legault told the court he is currently working for Marmot Basin as a photographer and at the International Hostel.

“I am going to lose both of my jobs for sure, probably the place that I am living in,” Legault told Judge Norheim.

“You had plenty of time to deal with this,” Judge Norheim responded to Legault, just before the guilty man briskly walked out of the courtroom without following protocol and bowing to the Judge.