Ex-Canadiens star Guy Lafleur gets suspended sentence
Former player fined $100 and must make $10,000 charitable donation
Last Updated: Thursday, June 18, 2009 | 5:47 PM ET
CBC News
Hockey legend Guy Lafleur leaves the Montreal courthouse on Thursday after receiving a suspended sentence for giving contradictory evidence at his son's bail hearing. (Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)A Quebec judge on Thursday gave former Montreal Canadiens star Guy Lafleur a suspended sentence for giving contradictory testimony at his son's bail hearing.
Lafleur had no reaction as provincial court Judge Claude Parent announced the Hall of Famer would have to pay a fine of $100 and make a $10,000 charitable donation.
Lafleur will not have to spend any time behind bars nor have to serve any community service time.
Parent said it was not a serious case of lying to a judge because there were no aggravating factors.
Lafleur was convicted six weeks ago of misleading the court during a 2007 bail hearing for Mark Lafleur, who had been granted bail on condition he sleep at his parents' house. Guy Lafleur promised at that time to oversee his son’s bail conditions.
Lafleur testified his son always respected his court-mandated curfew, when in fact that was not true.
Police turned up hotel receipts for Mark Lafleur, and Guy Lafleur later admitted driving his son to the hotel so he could have private time with his 16-year-old girlfriend.
Parent said Guy Lafleur lied because he knew his son would never be released from custody if the court found out he wasn't staying with his parents.
The prosecution did not recommend jail time in this case, but did say before sentencing that a fine alone was not enough. The crime of giving contradictory testimony carries a maximum penalty of up to 14 years in prison.
Lafleur's lawyer declined to comment on the sentencing, because he said they are still in the process of appealing the verdict.
Drafted first overall by Montreal in 1971, Lafleur had 560 goals and 1,353 points in 1,127 NHL games, including with other NHL team, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.
Lafleur will soon be back in court for his $3.5-million lawsuit against Montreal police and Quebec's Crown prosecutor over his very public arrest.
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