Man caught on video in Vancouver incident described as stalking sentenced to 1 year of probation
A man who was charged with harassment in a caught-on-camera incident described by the woman involved as stalking has been sentenced, but not for his role in that incident.
Mohammed Majidpour received his sentence Friday, months after he was charged with several offences, including mischief, uttering threats, breaking and entering, and assault with a weapon, as well as harassment.
The harassment count was stayed, along with several other charges, as part of a joint submission by the Crown and Majidpour's lawyer.
Majidpour pleaded guilty to the other four charges listed above and was sentenced to one day in jail and one year of probation, according to the BC Prosecution Service.
He'll be given 180 days' credit for time served before sentencing.
The 34-year-old of no fixed address was not sentenced to time behind bars, in part because of his deteriorating health. The court heard that Majidpour is addicted to heroin, and needs proper treatment.
After appearing in court via video link, Majidpour is expected to be released from custody Friday. The conditions of his release include that he is prohibited from carrying any weapons, and from contacting the victim in the case and two other women who'd filed complaints against him.
Once released, Majidpour will be staying in a shelter until space is available at a treatment centre.
He was given the opportunity to address the court Friday, but declined.
His case rose to prominence because of a widely-shared video posted on social media by a woman who said she was being stalked by a man who can be seen walking behind her.
The woman said she didn't know the man who followed her for about 40 minutes. Her post garnered significant attention online, and police began a search for the man involved.
Jamie Coutts, who captured the video on her cellphone, told CTV News in an interview at the time that she'd noticed she was being followed, and stopped walking so he could pass, but that he just "stared" at her.
Coutts said she told him he was walking too close to her, but that nothing changed. She'd also tried walking around the block several times, as fast as she could, to test that she actually was being followed.
Eventually, she ran into a group of people at a skate park, and sat with them until the man left. She later reported the incident to police, once she felt safe.
Officers with the Vancouver Police Department said her story encouraged other victims of similar incidents to come forward, and their accounts were also investigated.
The VPD advises anyone who has a gut feeling they aren't safe to call 911. Coutts also recommends taking a video or photo of the person, if it's possible to do so safely.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Travis Prasad in court
Correction
This story has been updated to clarify the outcomes of the various charges against Majidpour.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.