Drunk driver lands on constable's lawn

On January 24, 2012 at approximately 9:00 pm, an off-duty Yorkton, Saskatchewan RCMP constable was relaxing at home when he heard a disturbance outside his residence. A 1996 Ford station wagon had driven onto the constable's lawn, and was stuck in the snow. The driver was attempting to drive the car out of the snow bank.

The off-duty constable in this case is currently employed as a traffic enforcement officer, specializing in DUI investigations. He instructs other officers in recognizing symptoms of drug and alcohol impaired drivers and arrests about two dozen impaired drivers each year. He is also a qualified breath test technician.

The constable went outside and found that the driver of the car was highly intoxicated, and there was open liquor in the vehicle. The constable placed the drunk driver under arrest and detained him until the members on shift arrived at the scene. The off-duty constable then attended to the Yorkton Detachment office and assisted the on-duty members by conducting the breath test. The suspect's blood alcohol level was 0.19, more than twice the legal limit.

A 55-year-old Yorkton man was lodged in detachment cells for the night. Charges are pending.

Guilty plea in 1980s case

On January 12, 2012, 72-year-old William Henry Gaitens of Yorkton appeared in court to stand trial for sexual assault offences that occurred between 1985 and 1990.

After consultation with his counsel, Gaitens changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced to an 18-month community sentence, with a 10-year firearms and weapons prohibition.

Gaitens has been ordered to provide DNA to the national databank and has to register with the National Sex Offender Registry.

These charges arose from a lengthy investigation that commenced back in the 1990s. However, lack of corroborative evidence at that time did not allow for criminal charges. The investigation was re-opened in 2008 when an eyewitness came forward. The matter was once again investigated with the new evidence and charges were pursued.

The charges were before the court for a preliminary hearing on April 14, 2010, and were committed to trial.

The matters were set for trial on January 12, 2012, where the accused changed his plea to guilty.