Mathieu Bilodeau, 34, pleaded guilty in February to setting four fires in the city's Sainte-Foy neighborhood, including one to the car of Mohamed Labidi, the former president of the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre.

Labidi's car was set alight outside his home last August, when he was still the mosque's president.

Car torching revived fears in Quebec City's Muslim community, mosque leader tells court

The incident stoked fear among members of the city's Muslim community, who were still reeling from the mosque attack that left six men dead and several others injured on Jan. 29, 2017.

At the hearing, the judge acknowledged the impact the arson had on the Muslim community.

'Crime of a heinous nature'

Bilodeau has served the equivalent of 11 months in jail, meaning he will be released next month due to time served in detention.

He was also sentenced to 240 hours of community service.

At the time of the incident last year, Quebec City police described it as a "crime of a heinous nature."

However, Bilodeau's lawyer argued her client has an intellectual disability, and she said he had been encouraged to set the fires by someone else.

Lawyers for both the Crown and the defense argued during sentencing that Bilodeau's actions did not constitute a hate crime.

That person, a man named Marc Gagnon, has denied all the charges against him. He is expected to appear in court next month.

Source: CBC News