A 20-year-old Yorkton will spend 12 months on probation for an incident during the annual Yorkton Regional High School Car Show that locked down area schools June 4.
Tanner Lingel was originally charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, but pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of mischief in provincial court June 11.
In a joint Crown-defence submission, prosecutor Darryl Bode explained that Lingel had showed up in a vehicle at the car show wearing a t-shirt as a bandana. One witness said only his eyes were showing.
Several students approached the vehicle recognizing it as one that had been prowling the parking lot earlier in the week.
As they approached, Bode said Lingel pulled out an object and said something to the effect of “you don’t know what kinds of weapons I have.”
One student thought he saw a gun and phoned 911. All Yorkton schools and one in Melville were immediately put in a “hold and secure” state, which means the exterior doors are locked, but classes and other indoor activities continue as usual.
The RCMP arrested Lingel a short time later and recovered a stick shift handle that had a handgrip reminiscent of a gun handle.
The prosecutor entered 14 previous mischief convictions into the record and asked for 12 months probation including the statutory condition plus living at an approved residence; staying away from school grounds and other places students congregate; abstaining from alcohol and drugs except prescribed medication; taking treatment and/or personal counselling for addictions mental health and cognitive issues; and not possessing any weapons.
Richard Yaholnitsky appearing on behalf of the accused cited mitigating circumstances that the 14 convictions were all related to one incident, that Lingel successfully completed probation on that occasion, that he has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and is taking his medication and that he is remorseful.
Judge Patrick Koskie accepted the joint submission, but admonished the young man stay on his medication, stay away from other substances and that he was very close to the line of winding up in jail should he continue on his current path.
