Man who left bus driver legally blind handed down 11-year sentence

The man responsible for blinding a Toronto bus driver nearly five years ago was sentenced to 11 years in prison, Friday afternoon.

Malcolm Chalmers, 23, was convicted of aggravated assault and use of a firearm in the case last November.

TTC employee Jamie Pereira was shot after trying to break-up a fight near his bus, in the Morningside Ave. and Sewells Rd. area, in 2005.

He completely lost sight in his left eye and only has 25 per cent vision in his right one.

Chalmers read a handwritten apology to Pereira in court, which his lawyer read a portion of outside after the sentence was handed down.

“When I hear about this case they always refer to you as the innocent bus driver that got caught in a crossfire, but you should be hailed as the innocent hero who showed tremendous bravery in doing your job. The worst part is is that you were injured and your life has been altered forever for doing the right thing.”

The lead investigator on the case, Det. Sgt. Mike Barsky, said he believes the apology was genuine.

“I don’t think that anybody from my investigative team or anybody from the family expected that he would stand up and […] speak the words that he spoke. I believe it came from his heart and I believe it was him that wrote it, which is substantially different in most cases.”

With credit for time already served, Chalmers will only have to serve nine years.

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