STRATFORD, Ont. (CP) — If Canada had a drunk driving hall of shame, John Harnett would likely be one of the centrepieces.
Harnett, 33, of nearby Kitchener, was given a lifetime driving ban on Thursday following his four latest convictions — one for drunk driving, two for driving while disqualified and another for failing to remain at the scene of an accident.
The latest convictions brought Harnett’s grand total to 74 criminal convictions for various crimes spanning three provinces. They also earned him 21 months in jail in addition to being prohibited from ever getting behind the wheel again.
Judge Kathryn McKerlie called Harnett a “menace to society” during his appearance at the Ontario Court of Justice.
He’d been held in custody since his arrest on Feb. 19, when he ran a red light at a downtown intersection and smashed into a pickup truck.
He then backed up and collided with another vehicle that had stopped for the red light. Harnett and his passenger then quickly abandoned the Lincoln and took off on foot, but were caught by police 10 minutes later.
Both people in the pickup truck were injured in the accident.
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A subsequent breathalyser test revealed Harnett had almost twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system. Court was told he’d been out partying the night before.
Harnett was bound at the time by two separate Criminal Code driving prohibitions.
Among his previous driving-related convictions, Harnett had:
— Seven drunk-driving convictions
— Four driving-while-disqualified convictions.
— A previous conviction for failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
Harnett’s record dates back to 1988 with a dangerous driving conviction and has since accumulated to include a range of other charges including break and enter, criminal negligence causing bodily harm, and possession of stolen property.
McKerlie noted Harnett “regularly drinks and drives” and “wilfully and regularly” ignores court orders.
Harnett expressed remorse during his sentencing, adding that all of his past crimes involved alcohol abuse.
“I’d like to apologize to the court and anybody out there I’ve hurt along the way . . . I need some help with my alcohol problem — for myself, my wife and my children.”
The lengthy period in jail, said McKerlie, was intended “to send a clear message to Mr. Harnett — if that’s possible.”