Canada

Former Winnipeg police officer Elston Bostock has been sentenced to seven years in prison, after an internal investigation revealed years of corruption and other crimes — sometimes committed on the job.

While prosecutors and Bostock’s lawyers initially made separate sentencing recommendations of seven years and just over two, the disgraced officer accepted a joint sentencing recommendation for the seven-year term Friday, after the judge deciding the case indicated he was considering an even longer sentence, because there was no joint recommendation.

Court of King’s Bench Justice Kenneth Champagne said his decision as it stood at the beginning of Bostock’s sentencing hearing "comes out to 13.5 years," though he expected that could have been reduced after considering the principle of totality — which aims to avoid excessive sentences on multiple charges.

"Holy f–k," Bostock said in response from his seat in the prisoner’s box, covering his face with his hands and shaking his head.

When lawyers returned from a brief recess to consider those comments, defence lawyer Richard Wolson told court Bostock had accepted the seven-year joint recommendation.