A high-risk offender with a history of violence and sexual offences will remain in custody after a judge denied him bail following an alleged breach of a court order. Medhani Yohans, 37, is accused of breaching an order requiring him to stay away from downtown Guelph. He faces multiple breach charges. A bail hearing Friday afternoon in Guelph court heard Yohans has between 13 and 15 breaches of court orders dating back several years. The Crown presented a 200-page bail package, which Justice of the Peace W.W. Rojek described as lengthy and unusual. The hearing was also notable because neither the Crown nor defence requested a publication ban, allowing details from the proceeding to be reported. The court heard Yohans has had a growing criminal record since 2018, a year after he arrived in Canada from Eritrea. During the hearing, Assistant Crown Attorney Robert Butler questioned Yohans about his history and his ability to comply with court orders. Butler noted Yohans had served about seven months in jail for previous breaches and had been convicted of sexually assaulting women. “Last year while being assessed by a medical doctor you told the doctor you would sexually assault her if it weren’t for the presence of other men there,” Butler told the court. The Crown also questioned Yohans about a previous arrest when he had his penis exposed in a jail cell. Through an interpreter, Yohans said he had exposed himself: “Just to pee. Or do something else.” Butler asked Yohans whether he had remorse for what he had done to women and whether he believed he had the right to approach and touch a woman. “You’re asking me a lot of questions,” Yohans responded. He went on to say he pleaded guilty to the offences so he could go home. Yohans told the court he has family in Guelph. However, he said he did not have anyone who could act as his supervisor if he were released on Friday. The Crown argued Yohans should remain in custody, citing previous medical assessments that placed him in the 99th percentile for reoffending and indicated he requires the highest level of supervision. Butler described Yohans as a “convicted, violent, sexual offender who does not abide by court orders even when he has one in his back pocket.” Rojek ultimately denied bail. “The actions speak way louder than words. I simply don’t need those words,” Rojek said. “He’s unable to comply with any condition of any order I can impose on him.” Yohans is expected to return to court Tuesday to apply for Legal Aid.
