No bail for accused Sudbury man

[Guest N***he**Ont**y]

A Sudbury man accused of human trafficking did not make bail Friday and was placed into custody awaiting his trial.

 

Douglas Bright, 45, appeared before Superior Court Justice Koke during a bail review hearing.

 

At a previous bail hearing, Bright offered three sureties - his mother, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law.

 

Each surety pledged $10,000 with no deposit.

 

"It is difficult for me to understand how any of them could possibly provide this amount of money if called upon - there is no evidence that any of them are currently employed," said Koke.

 

"The Justice of the Peace describes the sureties as follows," said Koke during the bail hearing. "Each regards the defendant as a harmless guy who has had bad luck with females and even more bad luck in business.

 

"Each considers his lack of a job or a source of income for living expenses to be insignificant - even at 45 years of age. Each has little or no concern with respect to his extensive record.

 

"Each considers the present charges to be of little concern. None of them have any extensive knowledge of his lifestyle or his associates or his source of income."

 

All this, Koke said, makes them poor choices as sureties.

 

"In my view, the sureties are woefully inadequate," said Koke. "They exhibit a willful blindness with respect to Mr. Bright's extensive criminal record.

 

"Their mutual unwillingness to accept the fact that Mr. Bright has established himself as a career criminal and that he has failed to exhibit any intention to change, makes them inappropriate candidates to act as sureties."

 

Bright offered two additional sureties (family friends); however; Koke deemed them inappropriate candidates, as well, due to their inability to fully recognize the extent of Bright's criminal record and gravity of the crimes with which he is charged.

 

Bright's next court appearance is Aug. 6.

 

Bright was arrested in a province-wide initiative called Operation Northern Spotlight on June 17.

 

Greater Sudbury Police Service charged Douglas Bright, 45, with procuring a prostitute, administering a noxious substance, trafficking in persons, material benefit from trafficking in persons and knowingly advertising an offer to provide sexual services for consideration.

 

These are not the first charges Bright has faced relating to the sex trade.

 

In July 2005, he was sentenced to 31/2 years in prison for living off the avails of prostitution and for assaulting the woman who was working for him.

 

Superior Court Justice Michael Meehan said upon sentencing that Bright appreciated the money the woman brought in initially, but it soon became "required, then demanded and eventually she was operating on the street."

 

At that time, Bright had a criminal record of 35 convictions for everything from weapons charges to assaults and breaching court orders.

 

In July 2009, Bright was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend of eight months, leaving her with a gash on her forehead above her eye.

 

In March 2003, Bright pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five months in jail for breach of probation.

 

In January 1999, he was convicted of defrauding a Sudbury bank of more than $5,000 and was ordered to pay $2,950 in restitution within 22 months.

 

He failed to fulfil that condition of his probation.

[cinelli 22184]

Sounds like a trustworthy guy, sure I will put up ten thousand on his behalf.

 

Quite the family he has.