A young man from Montreal, Jo Alromhin, was sentenced to nine months of house arrest for leading a high-speed chase at over 180 km/h in a stolen SUV. Alongside his friend Hanna Abdo, who escaped charges, Alromhin smiled as he faced court. The judge acknowledged the issue of vehicle theft but granted him leniency due to his clean record and need for physical therapy after a previous accident. Alromhin admitted to dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.
A young man from Montreal, found guilty of instigating a police chase at speeds exceeding 180 km/h while driving a recently stolen SUV, has received a nine-month house arrest sentence to continue his physiotherapy following another traffic incident.
Jo Alromhin, 24, and Hanna Abdo, 22, arrived with smiles at the Montreal courthouse on Friday. One of them was aware he would face a light penalty, while the other was set to walk away entirely unscathed.
“Every day, vehicle theft makes the headlines; it is a serious problem,” remarked Judge Geneviève Graton. “However, before imposing a prison sentence, I must consider all potential penalties, and in this circumstance, home detention is a reasonable option.”
With that, Alromhin, who has no prior criminal record, was granted this measure for offenses committed in April 2023.
From Highway 30 to 40 at high speeds
That night, a resident from Cornwall, Ontario, had his Honda CR-V stolen, a vehicle particularly favored by thieves. Shortly after, Alromhin was spotted recklessly driving it on Highway 30, near Vaudreuil-Dorion, heading towards Montreal.
“The investigation report indicates that it is common to see stolen vehicles from Ontario being taken to the Montreal port,” explained lawyer Me Boutet.
If that was indeed Alromhin’s intention, he appeared to be in a hurry, as patrol officers clocked him driving at 180 km/h.
Quickly, the police attempted to catch up with the reckless driver, but the task was challenging as Alromhin began to weave through other vehicles at high speed.
However, the Quebec Provincial Police benefited from the orange cones littering the city, as a construction zone at the entrance to the island slowed down the driver enough for them to close in.
Rather than stopping, Alromhin took off again, still at high speed.
“There was a call for backup and the deployment of a spike strip,” the Crown explained.
A slap on the wrist
Even after having his tires punctured, the reckless driver continued his escape. The chase ended at the entrance of Highway 13 when the tires of the CR-V came off the rim.
Alromhin was apprehended on the scene, along with Abdo, who was a passenger, according to authorities. Instead of going to trial, the driver of the stolen vehicle opted to plead guilty on Friday. He acknowledged driving dangerously and refusing to stop when ordered by the police. He also admitted to possessing the stolen SUV.
However, he was not charged with car theft due to insufficient evidence. Furthermore, since he had no history of similar offenses, it became difficult to justify a firm detention, resulting in his sentence of house arrest.
This arrangement will allow him to continue his physiotherapy for hand injuries he sustained months earlier when he was a victim of another reckless driver.
“At 24 years old, it’s time for you to mature,” the magistrate commented.
On the other hand, Abdo had the charges against him dropped, freeing him from legal worries.