A courtroom is hearing sentencing submissions today for a Vancouver minor hockey coach who was caught tripping two young players on an opposing team.
Former UBC Hornets coach Martin Tremblay pleaded guilty to assault this fall.
Following a gold-medal game in the summer of 2012, Tremblay was shown tripping two players, age 10 and 13, from the Richmond Steel team.
A video posted online showed the coach shaking the goalie’s hand and then skipping the rest of the players, before sticking his foot out in front of a 13-year-old Steel player who is second-last in line.
One of the players injured his wrist and required a cast because of the fall and the other player was uninjured.
In court today, Crown Counsel told the judge it wants Tremblay to get a 30-day conditional jail sentence which he could serve at home, and 18 months probation. Defense is opposing the house arrest.
It was also revealed that Tremblay was on probation for a separate assault at the time of the trippings. Defense claims that Tremblay was depressed and off of his medication when the assaults occurred.
The mother of the 10-year-old boy who was assaulted by Tremblay stormed out of court because she says he is making excuses for his behavour.
“I couldn’t accept what he was saying. It was a lot of lies. I had to leave. It’s too bad I can’t go on the stand and talk and say what I saw as well," she said.
Tremblay’s lawyer Bob Bellows told CTV News that his client has felt “shame and remorse” for his actions, and has asked for the players’ forgiveness.
“He feels horrible about it. It’s affected the two boys, it’s affected his son who plays hockey, it’s affected his livelihood,” Bellows told CTV British Columbia after the guilty plea was delivered.
