A Justice who claimed to have suffered “sleepless nights” while considering a York Regional Police officer’s evidence, finally decided to reject it entirely, finding him guilty of sexually assaulting a 21-year-old student in the back of his cruiser.

Police Const. Young Min von Seefried was convicted Thursday at the Newmarket courthouse, a judgment that could carry a sentence of 18 months in jail.

The 34-year-old married father-of-two listened quietly as Justice Marquis Felix read out a lengthy judgment calling into question practically every portion of Const. von Seefried’s defence, calling parts “flimsy,” “truly bizarre” and “nonsensical.”

The January 2015 incident began after Const. von Seefried was patrolling Markham streets near Woodbine Avenue and Yorktech Drive.

At about 4:30 a.m., after noticing a Mercedes Benz that was a different colour than the one listed on the vehicle’s registration Const. von Seefried said he pulled the car over. He said after approaching the car and questioning both the driver and the passenger, he grew concerned over what he perceived to be prostitution, alcohol and domestic issues. In light of this, he claimed to escort the passenger to his cruiser to ensure she was in the man’s car of her own free will.

Once there, the complainant said Const. von Seefried began kissing the Chinese foreign exchange student. She further noted that he placed his hand up her top grabbing her breast, before placing his hand down her shorts fondling her and then placing her hand on his erect penis, asking her to “taste it.” Const. von Seefried denied all of this, but did admit to writing her phone number down in his notebook before calling her twice, thirty minutes later and leaving a voicemail.

Justice Felix rejected Const. von Seefried’s explanation that he called the girl later that morning to make sure she was “OK,” claiming his defence “smacks of after-the-fact justification.”

Justice Felix also criticized the Toronto Police Sgt. who took the complainant’s statement, explaining he was “extremely concerned” that the officer not only interviewed the complainant in the same room as her boyfriend, but also suggested he showed “serious neglect of basic fundamental procedures” by failing to video or audio tape the interview. Felix called the failures “unconscionable” considering the complaint was about one of his fellow officers.

In summing up, Justice Felix said he was resolute in believing little of what Const. von Seefried said on the stand.

“I reject almost all of the defence’s evidence,” he said. “Other than he was working… I’m hard pressed to give any credence to the remainder of the evidence."

Const. von Seefried will remain suspended with pay until the end of proceedings, according to police.

York Regional Police Chief Eric Jolliffe released a statement following the conviction, stating von Seefried’s actions do not reflect the other members of the service.

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“It is extremely disappointing to have one of our officers charged and convicted criminally,” Jolliffe said. “Let me be clear — York Regional Police will not tolerate any behaviour that victimizes anyone in our community.”

Correction- Nov. 18, 2016: This article was updated from a previous version that mistakenly said a York police officer had taken the complainant’s statement. In fact, it was a Toronto Police officer.

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