Sarnia man fined $5K for driving dangerously in homeless camp

A 63-year-old Sarnia man who was fed up with a homeless camp and blasted his horn as he drove his car around it, narrowly missing a person in the process, has been fined $5,000 for dangerous driving.

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Kevin Burrage initially faced 11 charges after the chaotic July 31, 2023, incident in Queen Street Park, but most were dropped after he recently pleaded guilty only to dangerous driving.

“I’m not going to lecture you, sir, but there were some near-misses involved with this very dangerous driving,” Justice Simon Armstrong said. “Not only speed, but almost hitting a pedestrian.”

Burrage, who lived in the area, pulled into the park at Queen and Devine streets just after midnight that Monday and tried to annoy the campers by blasting his horn for several minutes. The prolonged distraction drew some neighbors to the area, police said at the time.

He made several maneuvers in his car, including a three-point turn, and nearly hit a pedestrian while another person threw their skateboard at his car and damaged a mirror. No one was hurt and officers quickly located the vehicle and made an arrest, police said.

Police issued a photo on social media of a small black sedan with its doors open next to two cruisers on the road near the Vidal Street South Tim Hortons.

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Burrage had some alcohol in his system at the time of his arrest, court heard.

Defense lawyer Sarah Donohue said the homeless camp was causing many problems at the time for Burrage and his neighbors.

“It was loud. A lot of garbage. Needles. And trespassing was occurring,” she said. “Ambulance, fire and police were attending almost daily and to no avail.”

But her client admits his frustrations with the camp got the best of him that night, she added.

“He agrees that he should not have addressed it the way he did and he apologizes sincerely for letting the frustration get the better of him,” Donohue said.

Burrage, a retired military member, declined a chance to speak.

“I want to make it complain to you that this kind of driving is completely unacceptable, no matter what the circumstance is,” Armstrong said.

Burrage had no prior criminal record.

“It appears to be an anomaly in his otherwise non-criminally involved life,” assistant Crown attorney Sarah Carmody said. “However, the incident was serious.”

Both lawyers asked for the $5,000 fine and one year of probation the judge imposed. Burrage also is banned from driving for a year.

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