Troublemaker back in court

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

A Penticton man with a long history of threatening behaviour in the community appeared before a judge again on Wednesday.

Gerzson Kovacs was in Penticton court for a breach of probation.

Crown counsel Nashina Devji said Kovacs was seen by an officer at the Riverside Liquor Store on Tuesday morning, while he was under a probation order not to go to a liquor store.

At the time he had a can of beer on him and was arrested and taken into custody.

Judge Gale Sinclair gave him a three day sentence with full credit for time served.

Judge Gregory Koturbash sentenced Kovacs, who was charged with causing a disturbance, to 346 days in jail, last January in Penticton court.

The charges were in connection to an incident on Jan. 5, 2016, when Kovacs was intoxicated and harassing a woman on the street.

In an earlier incident, Kovacs was spotted making inappropriate sexual comments and talking about aliens at the 24/7 Convenience Store near Penticton Secondary school, which alarmed students and staff.

Court records show several other incidents in which he was detained for causing a disturbance.

Koturbash said then that he found Kovacs "completely incorrigible," saying the community and police are tired of his antics.

"The only way to stop you from drinking is to lock you up for a long time," he said.

Koturbash said he had even considered a banishment order for Kovacs, an extraordinary step, but one that would have foisted the problem on another community.