A man who assaulted his landlord in October of 2012 finally saw sentencing and has been ordered to pay a $2,000 fine by Ponoka provincial court, Friday Dec. 12.
Daniel Herbert, 32, has no prior criminal activity regarding violence and believed the fight, which took place after the landlord served him papers, was consensual.
Judge J. Hunter considered a probation order, as the Crown requested, but decided against the action due to the many steps Herbert has taken alone to get his life back on track.
Along with his fine, Herbert was ordered to give DNA samples to the Ponoka RCMP detachment.
Husbands order wives to steal hairspray
A Samson Cree Nation woman was sentenced to a $100 fine after pleading guilty in regards to an attempted hairspray theft.
On Aug. 11, 2014, Ponoka RCMP received a complaint from Shoppers Drug Mart that two woman had attempted to steal hairspray.
Upon arrival, the RCMP found Lorna Okeynan, 42, and another woman still in the building. The two women admitted to the act, telling officials their common-law spouses made them steal the hairspray so they could later huff it. However, Okeynan had no intention of partaking in that.
The court accepted her time already spent in custody as acceptable time served and Okeynan was released, against the Crown’s request. She has been ordered to appear in court whenever necessary, keep the peace and report to the Maskwacis RCMP detachment twice a week.
Okeynan will be back in court for a Jan. 2, 2015 trial after pleading not guilty to two counts of failing to appear.
Impaired driver travels without insurance
An impaired Montana Cree Nation man, who used the license plate of another vehicle on his green Mazda, was sentenced to a one-year driving prohibition and heavy fines.
Ponoka RCMP noticed a vehicle with an improper license plate driving in Ponoka, May 24, 2014 and the vehicle was pulled over and Tyrel Buffalo, 30, was found behind the wheel.
As members spoke with him, an odor of alcohol was noticed on his breath. He also told RCMP he had bought the vehicle earlier that day and was going to get insurance the next day.
For driving over the .8 limit — he blew a .17 — Buffalo received a $1,500 fine and another $2,000 for driving without insurance.
Impaired curb-hopper receives sentencing
After being caught driving impaired when he ran over a curb, Leonard Cardinal, 42, was charged and consequentially sentenced to a one-year driving prohibition and a $1,200 fine.
On April 26, 2014, RCMP saw a white truck run over a curb on 50th Street. The vehicle turned north on 50th Street and was stopped.
RCMP noticed a smell of alcohol on Cardinal’s breath, glazed eyes and an unsteady walk. Two breath samples were taken at the detachment, both coming to .13.
Cardinal’s prior record was when he was 22 years old and defense counsel says the day of the incident his life was in great turmoil, as he had lost his job and was left by his wife.
Following that, he and his son, whom he now raises alone, visited a friend in Ponoka; where Cardinal had too much to drink.
In three months, Cardinal is eligible to apply for a vehicle interlock system.
Address mix-up means fines for house arrest man
A man who was on house arrest for being associated with a robbery with a firearm incident faced more sentencing after he was found outside his house after curfew on Dec. 6 of this year.
Stephan Donaldson, 21, says he was one his way to the Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre for stomach pains when he was located during a traffic stop and in his pain he forgot to bring his release papers with him. His papers allow him to leave his residence when seeking medical treatment.
RCMP was already on the lookout for Donaldson after he was not at his listed residence when a member showed up on Dec. 3 and 4 with recognizance.
However, Donaldson and his mother relocated within Ponoka in September. The probation officer says she was informed in October and due to a busy schedule and not being satisfied it was an appropriate residence had not further dealt with the information.
Donaldson pled guilty to breach and was fined $100.
The time he already served in custody was deemed appropriate as punishment by the court .
Suspended driver sentenced for driving drunken boyfriend home
A woman caught driving with a suspended licence has been sentenced to a one-year driving prohibition and heavy fines.
On Oct. 5, 2013, RCMP Traffic Enforcement along Highway 2A and Secondary Highway 611 noticed a vehicle change over to a side road near a Maskwacis gas station.
Terri Littlepoplar was in the driver’s seat; there was already a warrant out for her arrest and open liquor in the vehicle. She informed the police her licence had been suspended since 2011 and acknowledged she knew what a breath sample test was.
After seven attempts, RCMP had still not acquired a reading of her blood content levels and noticed she was not properly cooperating. When they tried for an eighth time Littlepoplar pushed the members hand away and said ‘no’ — adding refusal to her list of charges.
At the time of sentencing, Littlepoplar was several months into a difficult pregnancy. She lives with her sister, who has severe vision problems, and takes care of her other child and her sister’s child.
Defense counsel told the court she knew she was not supposed to be behind the wheel but when her boyfriend was too intoxicated to drive them home from the party they were at, she opted to drive
While Littlepoplar pled guilty, Judge Hunter felt her previous criminal record warranted jail time. However, due to her condition, her sentence of 90 days in custody can be served intermittently. She also acquired a three-year driving prohibition for refusing to provide a breath sample.
For driving with a disqualified licence, Littlepoplar received a $1,750 fine and one-year driving prohibition, served concurrently with the other.
For the length of her custody sentence Littlepoplar is under probation to keep the peace, display good behavior and arrive at the Red Deer Remand Centre sober.
Man denied release amid heartfelt pleas to spend Christmas with his family
A man who pled guilty to refusing to provide a breath sample has been denied release from custody after attending Ponoka court via CCTV.
His next court appearance is Jan. 26, 2015, and has been transferred to the Wetaskiwin courthouse to proceed under Hunter’s ruling.
On Oct. 25, 2014 Lyndon Olsen approached a RCMP check stop along Highway 2A and Secondary Highway 611.
As RCMP members spoke with him and inquired about the possibility of impaired driving, he sped away. While taking a high-speed turn onto Township Road 422 the vehicle suddenly careened into the ditch. Olsen and the two passengers exited.
As RCMP arrived, Olsen attempted to convince them he had not been the driver. However, members smelled alcohol on his breath and when they put him in the back of the RCMP vehicle, he became rowdy and cut open his head. Six stitches later Olsen arrived at the Ponoka detachment.
At the time of the incident, Olsen was prohibited from operating a motor vehicle, stemming from a February 2014 incident.
Defense counsel told the court that on the evening of Oct. 25 Olsen did not believe he was impaired and panicked at the Check Stop because he was not supposed to drive.
He is the sole breadwinner of the family and has an extensive criminal record of related charges dating back to 1996.
During his appearance in court, he requested a preliminary report and full Gladue report, which is a type of preliminary report that can be requested when sentencing someone of Aboriginal background.
“I wish you that you could see into my head and my heart and know that I’m not going to mess this up,” Olsen told the court right before being denied release.