2 people sentenced to probation over racist incident at B.C. café

Astrid Maria Secreve is seen walking into Richmond provincial court for an appearance on April 8, 2022.

A former couple has been given probation over what the judge calls a “dehumanizing” and “villainizing” incident that saw the pair use racial slurs towards a worker at a Steveston coffee shop.

Before Astrid Maria Secreve and her now ex-husband Michelle Jean Jaque Berthum entered the Richmond courthouse Thursday, Secreve was seen giving the middle finger to a group of anti-racism protestors who were standing outside.

The divorced duo pleaded guilty for the incident in March 2021, when they poured coffee on the café floor and used racial slurs after being asked to comply with COVID-19 protocols.

Part of the exchange included the phrase, “(expletive) you Chinese. The coronavirus is you.”

Staff at the café called police, and the then-couple were arrested and later charged with mischief under $5,000.

As B.C. provincial court judge Diana Vandor read off her verdict, Secreve could be seen fidgeting, fixing her hair and rocking her chair from side to side.

Both of the accused each face a sentence of 12 months' probation with conditions, including no contact with the victims. They were both also ordered to pay a $100 victim surcharge.

In Vandor’s verdict she notes the pair did not express remorse during the trial.

As Secreve and Berthum left the courthouse they rushed across the street, hiding their faces and refusing to speak with reporters outside.