Two days after a city police officer arrested him in March for attacking a man with a golf club Tyler Kennedy posted the cop's photograph on his Facebook page.
Above the photo of the constable were these words "big donation to the city of Sault Ste. Marie, Sault Area Hospital and food bank if he turns up dead."
Kennedy, 36, pleaded guilty to threatening to cause death on March 29 when he appeared in a Sault Ste. Marie courtroom Thursday.
He also was convicted of assault with a weapon for his actions two days earlier when he struck a man with an iron sand wedge at a downtown coffee shop, as well as two counts of breaching a probation order.
Ontario Court Justice John Condon heard Kennedy posted the threat at 9 a.m. and it was shared in the Facebook Group called Keeping The Soo Safe, which has more than 11,000 followers.
It came on the heels of a 6:22 a.m. incident on March 27 at Tim Hortons on Bay Street, where the accused became involved in a verbal altercation with another man.
"He was swinging the golf club around multiple times," and struck the victim on his left hand and right wrist, prosecutor Chris Thompson said.
The Crown and defence lawyer Ken Walker jointly recommended a six-month jail sentence, followed by two years probation
Kennedy goes to that Tim's on a regular basis and had been approached by the complainant a few times before, Walker said.
They exchanged words, his client "reacted badly" and then was arrested.
The officer made some comments and his actions upset Kennedy, the defence said.
Posting the photo was "a poor reaction on his part."
Kennedy apologized for his actions, indicating he has taken an anger management program while in custody at the jail.
Your conduct towards the officer was more than a reaction, you sought out a photo of him, and invited people to harm him, the judge told Kennedy.
Police officers' jobs are "hard enough without foolish actions such as yours."
When he imposed the sentence, Condon noted the accused's lengthy criminal record — "full of violence" with a number of convictions for assault, including one for assault with a weapon in 2022.
Kennedy had shown up at Tim Hortons at 6:20 in the morning with a golf club. Nobody told me he was grabbing a coffee then heading to the course, the judge said.
"He obviously went there in anticipation of a confrontation."
With the enhanced credit he received for his-pre-sentence, Kennedy faces a further 12 days behind bars.
"I strongly suspect one of your probation orders" in the past included anger management counselling, Condon told Kennedy, indicating there definitely will be a condition in this one.
During his two-year probation, he is not to communicate with the police officer, but there is an exception for contact with the officer during the course of his employment.
Kennedy must not be within 50 metres of the officer or his residence, and can't possess any photos of him or his family members.
As well, he can have no contact with the assault victim.
He must take any recommended assessment, counselling and rehabilitative programs, including anger management.
Condon also imposed a five-year weapons prohibition and ordered Kennedy to provide DNA sample.