A woman charged with shoplifting at Shoppers Drug Mart and then failing to appear in court was sentenced to 40 days in custody at provincial court on Friday, Oct. 31.
On July 16, 2014, Ponoka RCMP received a complaint of a shoplifter attempting to take several items at approximately $85 to $90 in value.
Upon arrival, RCMP found Vanessa Potts, 28, of Maskwacis, who admitted to taking the items. She was transported to the detachment and released with a promise to appear in court on Aug. 29, when she was not present.
A warrant for her arrest was issued; however, Potts also missed her second court date.
Potts has a prior criminal record and has spent 48 days in custody for a past shoplifting incident.
Defense counsel told the court that Potts was unable to acquire transportation for the court dates and believes the charges on the two fail to appears are unwarranted. However, the two occasions received five days in custody each.
As of Oct. 31 Potts had been in custody for four days and was awarded six-day credit.
Speed and cannabis
After originally being pulled over for speeding, a man has been sentenced with fines for failing to provide registration and having marijuana in the vehicle.
Cody Bertman pled guilty to both counts and received a $300 fine for possession of a controlled substance and a $172 fine for failing to provide registration.
On Sept. 28, 2014, Bertman’s vehicle was stopped and the Sheriff noticed a bag of cannabis fall from his pocket during their interaction. Three grams of the substance was located in the vehicle.
Assault
A man charged with six counts of assault causing bodily harm has been sentenced to nine months in jail.
On June 23, 2013 Derek Westling assaulted a man outside the man’s home in Ponoka.
According to the Crown, Westling targeted the man’s head and continued the assault after he was on the ground. A victim impact statement mentions an overall stress increase, migraines, sleep disruption, muscle pain and a decreased quality of life as a result of the incident.
Alcoholism, a criminal record, and an unfavorable pre-sentencing report were all aggravating factors in the case and, while the Crown was seeking a year in detention, the defense counsel saw its wish of nine months approved.
Along with the time in jail, Westling also faces a 10-year firearms prohibition and must submit himself for DNA samples.