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G20 cruiser burner gets 17 months in jail
Peter Edwards
A crowd of strangers cheered and took photos as Windsor carpenter Nicodemo Catenacci set an empty police cruiser ablaze during the G20 summit in June, 2010.
But Catenacci, 41, appeared alone in court on Friday, with only his elderly father to support him. Catenacci was sentenced to 17 months in jail at the Finch Ave. court and ordered to pay the cost of the $33,733 cruiser he set on fire.
He was also ordered to serve three years probation once he’s released from jail.
“Mr. Catenacci’s actions contributed to turning the streets of Toronto into a war zone,” Justice Fern Weinper told court.
Catenacci, a self-admitted cocaine addict, suffers from stress, depression and anxiety court heard. His lawyer, Sean MacDonald, asked the judge to look at his client as “a guy who was a blue collar worker who lost his job who’s battling addictions and various other issues.”
Catenacci lowered his head and twitched nervously when the judge asked if he had anything to say.
“I can’t think of anything right now,” he said, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I don’t know what to say.”
Court heard that Catenacci was high on cocaine and depressed at being fired from a carpentry job when he threw a burning newspaper into the police cruiser on June 26, at the corner of Queen St. W. and Spadina Ave.
Court also heard that Catenacci was not connected to any organized protest group.
Catenacci gave an interview to The Windsor Star earlier this year in which he was quoted as saying he felt was being made a scapegoat for the G20 violence and that seven police cars had been damaged or destroyed by protestors.
“Mr. Catenacci is not being held up as a poster boy for G20 justice,” the judge said.
Justice Weinper noted however that Catenacci’s actions could not be totally separated from the overall violence by G20 protestors.
“The offence detracted from peaceful protest,” the judge said. “The event shocked and horrified the community.”
The judge noted that Catenacci was captured in photos and on video “smiling and seemingly admiring his handiwork” after he tossed a burning newspaper into a police cruiser.
The cruiser had been abandoned after an earlier mob attack which did not include Catenacci. If anyone else who helped destroy the cruiser is convicted they can also share the costs of replacing it, the judge said.
Weinper noted that Catenacci has 17 previous convictions, including one for break and enter and one for resisting arrest. His previous longest jail stay was 60 days.
Court also heard that he has a poor history of following through with drug treatment programs.
His father appeared near tears as he declined to comment outside the courthouse.
Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/article/990938--g20-cruiser-burner-gets-17-months-in-jail