Man sentenced to 45 days in jail for assault on TTC employee

A 29-year-old man was sentenced to 45 days in jail on Tuesday for breach of probation and uttering death threats against a TTC employee.

On Nov. 8, a TTC employee was on his way to work, passing through Finch Station. The employee saw the accused smoking in a non-smoking area. The employee asked the accused to extinguish the cigarette. The accused refused. He then threatened the employee, stating, “You have three seconds to get out of my face or I'll get my gun and shoot you in the face.” The accused then reached inside his backpack.

Fearing for his safety, the employee fled and contacted Transit Control. Subsequently, TTC transit enforcement officers and members of the Toronto Police Service arrested a man at Davisville Station for causing a disturbance on a subway train. Based on the description provided by our employee from the incident at Finch Station, police laid a charge of uttering a death threat, in addition to breach of probation. The accused is known to police and TTC transit enforcement officers.

Sean Goss, 29, pleaded guilty to all charges on Nov. 9 and was immediately sentenced to 45 days in jail.

On average, two TTC employees are assaulted every day, ranging from punching, slapping and spitting, to threats of physical harm or death. The TTC’s court advocates work with Crown Attorneys and the Courts to secure the stiffest penalties possible for those convicted of assault on TTC employees, and continue to seek limits on the use of public transit in Toronto for those convicted of these crimes.