court-house.png

A case of mistaken identity results in a death threat conviction

A case of mistaken identity landed a Muskoka man in court recently.

William Dear, 52, pled guilty in a Bracebridge courtroom to harassment and uttering death threats.

Court heard that in November of 2024, a man contacted police to complain that he was being followed and harassed by a stranger.

The caller said a vehicle had been following him, and when he stopped, the driver, later identified as Dear, got out of his car and demanded answers regarding drug trafficking and child exploitation, the court heard.

In another incident in December of 2024, Dear pulled his car in front of the complainant on Bethune Drive in Gravenhurst, forcing him to stop. Dear again began berating the driver and threatened to shoot him, court heard.

The defence lawyer explained that Dear has had issues with an individual allegedly harassing a member of his family. He thought the complainant was that individual but it turned out they simply drove similar cars, said the defence.   

“He releases this is not the way to go about it,” said the defence.

Dear was given a suspended sentence and two years probation.

Don’t miss out on Doppler!

Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox so you don’t miss anything!

Click here to support local news

Join the discussion:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All comments are moderated. Please ensure you include both your first and last name and abide by our community guidelines. Submissions that do not include the commenter's full name or that do not abide by our community guidelines will not be published.

0 Comments