Devon Floyd threatened a teenage girl during an argument about a stolen vehicle, a judge heard Tuesday.
He eventually took the teen and a 20-year-old woman to a residence where he "'interrogated" them, prosecutor Marie-Eve Talbot said.
The 34-year-old accused pleaded guilty to uttering threats to cause bodily harm and forcible confinement in connection with the July 3, 2022 incident.
A publication ban prohibits reporting information that may identify the victims.
During the argument, Floyd told the girl in a text message that "this wasn't going to end well," the assistant Crown attorney said in an agreed statement of facts.
The teen took this as a "threat of harm."
Later, in the subsequent "interrogation," Floyd sent a message, via an encrypted app, that he had two hostages.
The victims felt they couldn't leave the residence, but eventually were able to leave, the Crown told Ontario Court Justice John Condon.
Talbot and defence lawyer Eric McCooeye jointly recommended that his client, who at the time of the incidents had no criminal record, receive a suspended sentence with probation.
The defence called the guilty pleas a mitigating factor.
It was Floyd's vehicle that was stolen, and he believed a certain person had information about it.
"We were ready for trial," McCooeye said. "There were different versions about what occurred and a lack of forensic evidence."
There certainly were triable issues that would have been difficult for the court to sort out, he told Condon.
Floyd "acknowledges he went too far and crossed over the line."
His client had been a social worker, working in alcohol and drug addictions, and a good citizen, until "a couple of things happened" with people he had become involved with, the defence said.
Talbot agreed there were triable issues.
The victims didn't want to testify, she said. "It would have been difficult for them."
When he imposed the suspended sentence, Condon noted this was all over a vehicle.
It doesn't matter if "it's a junker or a Lamborghini, it's still just a vehicle," he said.
The most aggravating factor is "you victimized two people, one of whom was a minor," the judge told Floyd.
"Clearly there is a power difference between you and a 15-year-old."
Condon placed him on probation for two years with conditions that include no communication with the victims and a requirement that he remain 100 metres away from them.
Floyd must take any recommended assessment, counselling and rehabilitation programs for substance abuse and anger management.
He is prohibited from possessing weapons for 10 years and must provide a DNA sample for the national database.
Condon told Floyd he hopes the next time he sees him "you are in the body of the courtroom supporting someone, not sitting where you are today [in the prisoner's box]."
Floyd remains in custody on another matter.