Two people involved in a racist incident at a Richmond, B.C., coffee shop were back in court Wednesday after entering a plea on Tuesday.
Michel Berthiaume and Astrid Secreve pleaded guilty to mischief at Richmond Provincial Court.
The judge has now reserved her decision in the case. The couple will have to call the judicial case manager Monday afternoon to set up a sentencing date.
Surveillance video from the incident at Rocanini Coffee in March 2021, shows Berthiaume dumping a cup of coffee on the ground and Secreve throwing a cup at the manager.
The pair were also accused of uttering racial slurs.
The Crown argued the offence was motivated by hate and ethnicity and is seeking a suspended sentence with 18 months probation, 100 hours of community service and an apology to the victim.
Outside court, advocacy groups against racism have called for justice.
“Those people who have some racist thoughts, let them know that racist slurs (are) not freedom speech,” Ally Wang with Stop Anti-Asian Hate Crime told Global News Tuesday.
Secreve and Berthiaume have asked for an absolute discharge.
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