A 22-year-old man has been given a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assault in an attack on a gay man in Vancouver last summer.
Alex Tchernychev will also have to perform 40 hours of community service, write a letter of apology to his victim and report to a probation officer daily for the next 18 months.
During his appearance in provincial court in Vancouver today, Tchernychev's lawyer presented several letters of support, including one from a gay friend.
The judge heard how Tchernychev had become an alcoholic and was drunk the night of the attack, but he now lives with his father and says he's not had a drink since October.
At the time, police said Tchernychev punched the 30-year-old in the face and knocked him to the ground. "Disturbing comments" were allegedly made about the victim's sexuality during the attack.
According to recent numbers from Statistics Canada, Vancouver has one of the highest occurrences of hate crime in the country.
With files from The Canadian Press
