Help! DS in trouble in Canada. Any words of advice?

[DUTI]

He's been an idiot. He knows it. He doesn't deny it.

He went out last night and got so drunk that he thought it would be a good idea to drive home. The Police spotted him and have done him for driving under the influence.

Is there anything he can do to mitigate things? He drives for a living so losing his licence is bad news.
Anybody got any wise words on the best way to approach this in Canada?

I kind of understand this. Years ago dp and i were out and both been drinking. It was pissing down with rain and we were a five minute drive from home (had intended to leave car). BECAUSE we had been drinking and dp rarely drinks we made a huge error of judgement and drove home. DP was in total control (it seemed) and we got home without incident.

I'll never forget that journey. It seemed to take forever and i can still feel the relief if getting home. NEVER AGAIN!! it sickens me that we made that decision because we were drunk. Not paralytic but drunk enough to make such a stupid decision. The what ifs make me shudder.

We were lucky and im deeply ashamed that we didn't just bloody get wet! What if we'd been stopped? Dp needs to drive for work. But fuck that...what if skmeone stepped out in the road or pulled out in front of us and dp's reaction was too slow? What if he lost it in the wet because he wss pissed? I feel sick thinking about it and it was over 20 years ago.

BUT had we been caught then the book should have been thrown at us. It is absolutely no excuse and any punishment would have been correct. Dp list his job? Tough shit im afraid and tge same goes for your DS. He has to suck it ip.

“As of December 18, 2018, driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs (DUI) is now a serious crime in Canada. That means that permanent residents or temporary residents (international students in Canada on study permits, or persons in Canada on temporary work permits, or even tourists on visitor visas) could become inadmissible and therefore could potentially face the loss of their status and deportation from Canada”

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) 36 (1)

A PP asked if he could lose his U.K. licence.

If he’s traded his in for a BC one, his U.K. licence is now invalid. On his return to the U.K. he would exchange the BC with the DVLA.

Thanks for the links Moose
Does he have a BC licence or does he still have his UK licence
He had to surrender his UK licence as part of the application process for the BC licence.

It is actually relevant because they can't refuse to let people in in certain cases. But I'm done because you seem happy to get shitty with me, when it's your son criminally endangering people and your concern is whether he's able to carry on with no consequences.

This is inaccurate. The legislation is clear that Canada can refuse to admit any foreign national on particular grounds. It doesn't matter what type of visa that foreign national holds. A person denied entry can appeal that denial, though.

As of December 18, 2018, driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs (DUI) is now a serious crime in Canada

Driving under the influence of alcohol has been a serious crime for at least 3 decades. Drug impairment was added in 2018.

As I posted previously, breathalyzer tested charges are rarely set aside in court, so if the OP's son wishes to fight this charge, he needs to find a criminal lawyer who specializes in impaired driving offenses,
likely plead guilty, and plead for a conditional sentence. It's a longshot, but that's the best hope.

Removal will not be immediate, and certainly not before a trial. Furthermore, he can appeal his removal.

If the son otherwise is a good citizen, eventually, he can apply to have the conviction sealed, and after, he will be allowed to again enter Canada, but that is years down the road.

Look on the bright side. At least he didn’t kill anyone. Unlike the drunk driver who killed my friend’s 18 year old son.
She’s still wrecked 4 years on.

I have experience of this so I can tell you what to do OP.
Take your son across the provinces until you reach Ontario. Then take him to the cemetery and stand by the grave where my 18-year-old cousin lies and has lain for many years due to the selfish, arrogant behaviour of a drunk driver like your son.
Then, finally, turn on your heels and walk away to leave your grown-up son to face the consequences of his own selfish arrogant behaviour.

I have experience of this
I don't. Up until now we, as a family, have had no experience of drunk driving, either as victims or perpetrators. I also don't know much about the Canadian legal system. Therefore I posted in a panic on Saturday. I was trying to protect my son, as any mother would do.
I apologise to the posters here who have had loved ones taken away by drunk drivers; I didn't mean to upset anyone. Thank you for your perspectives. I have passed this on to DS. As I said, he is distraught and was at the stage where he wanted to hide under a rock and never come out. I've told him that he has to face up to what he has done, admit it, don't try to lie or minimise it but at the same time be sensitive to his listeners as they may have painful histories of their own.
Sorry again.

Why are you being so soft with him? He is an absolute fucking idiot, he could have killed somebody, big or small. We are all somebody's children. Canada enforces it's laws. I hope they kick his arse out.

I was trying to protect my son, as any mother would do.

A decent mother who wants to produce decent human beings don’t try to help them minimize the inconvenience of their own willfully dangerous, criminal behaviour actually.

Stop being such a twat, Ivana. OP sounds like a perfectly decent mother who has raised a son who has enough spirit that he wanted to try living and working in another country. He's behaved very stupidly and thankfully no-one is dead or injured so stop going on as though he's left a trail of bodies in his wake.

Now do you want him to spend the rest of his life in a hair shirt or face up to his mistake, vow never to drink and drive again, and make a good life for himself?

I couldn’t give a fuck what sort of life he lives.

He has that luxury.

Victims of drunk drivers do not.

And spare me the utter shite about the spirit it takes to go and get a minimum wage job in Canada so he can go on the piss with his girlfriend. He’s hardly setting the world on fire.

Drunk drivers are oxygen thieves and nothing more. And people like you are despicable because you insist it’s a mistake, as though it’s not a conscious decision to endanger the lives of anyone who’s unfortunate enough to be in your path.

If anyone is a twat, it certainly isn’t me. Have a look at yourself and ask yourself why you feel the need to defend pond scum that drive while drunk, there’s a dear.

Victims of drunk drivers do not

But the OP's son doesn't have any victims.

ask yourself why you feel the need to defend pond scum that drive while drunk

I'm not defending the son, but the mother who you have been unfairly nasty about. But carry on because you're obviously getting a perverse kick out of It.

I shopped BIL for drink driving many years ago. He was a black cab driver and lost his livelihood. SIL and other family members have never forgiven me. I don't care. He was a persistent offender by the time I found out about it - he'd had plenty of chances to quit. Op's DS has a chance - I hope he takes it.

RevokeRemainpastcaringreally but the OP didn’t start this thread asking for how she can get her son to face up to what he’d done. She was specifically asking for loopholes to exploit to get him out of punishment.

That is why the OP is getting a pasting.

I haven’t been unfairly nasty about her.

She’s so determined that it’s right to try to protect her son from the consequences of his actions. Not his mistakes. His actions.

In my opinion, a decent parent makes tough decisions sometimes and this is one of those times. Trying to help him wriggle out of this is irresponsible. It’s very easy to claim never again when you’re facing serious consequences. If mummy helps him get away with it, what’s to say he won’t make the same “mistake” further down the line? And kill someone.

I’ve been pissed a great many times. Do you know how many times I’ve gotten behind the wheel? None.

I was trying to protect my son, as any mother would do.

I wouldn't protect my sons from the consequences of driving whilst drunk. Or my daughter.

this thread has turned quite misogynist, blaming the mother for the son's behaviour...

And everyone trying to stick the knife in (the mum), I guess is them blaming her as well as wanting her to suffer.

Worst of MN, IMO

I hate drink driving and drink drivers, a friend of mine drove into a house, drunk, and I cannot forgive her for risking other people's lives. However, I would not lay into her MOTHER for this, you know?!

Hope you're ok OP, and hope your son does the right thing (pay the fine and change his ways). take care.

blaming the mother for the son's behaviour

I thought they were simply blaming her for trying to find a way for him to wriggle out of a ban.

I agree with solitude. It’s disgraceful and also very childish. No one wants drunk drivers but mature people understand that mistakes are made in life, and what’s important is how you grow and learn from
Them. Telling people to go and look at their neighbours best friends sisters grave isn’t helpful in the slightest, and quite frankly, isn’t going to make him any more or less remorseful.

Canada takes a very dim view of drunk driving. Not only may his visa be revoked, if he is convicted he may also get a lifetime ban from entering Canada in the future. This is not the UK, where we just give people a slap on the wrist.

The U.K. also takes an incredibly dim view of drunk driving.

Has he spoken to the embassy?

I was led to believe (by 7am immigration consultant, not a lawyer or embassy employee though) that DUI basically means you're getting deported. Asap.

OP just asked how her son could mitigate things. That’s not unreasonable. That is partly why criminal trial lawyers exist.