Disgraced former theatre impresario Garth Drabinsky will remain in jailed at the Millhaven Institute in Bath, Ontario while awaiting the Supreme Court of Canada's decision on whether leave will be granted to his appeal application. Drabinsky has served less than one month of his five-year prison sentence.
Justice David Doherty of the Ontario Court of Appeal found that the public interest in denying bail pending appeal was paramount given the that his convictions for fraud and forgery were upheld this past September and his appeal application was not likely to be granted.
“Where an accused is convicted of a serious crime and sentenced to a significant jail term, public confidence in the effective operation of the justice system must suffer if years go by before the accused serves that sentence.”
If successful in his appeal application, Drabinsky can apply for bail again. Prior to his convictions being upheld, Drabinsky had been on bail for nine years since being charged in 2002.