Mother pleads guilty
A 37-year-old Yorkton woman accused of being an accomplice in a sexual assault of her own two-year-old daughter has pleaded guilty to a lesser included charge of common assault.
The woman cannot be named due to a publication ban issued because the publication of her name could easily reveal the name of the victim.
In a joint submission the Crown and defence asked for a conditional sentence based on a psychological report that Legal Aid counsel Richard Yaholnitsky said mitigated the woman’s responsibility to which the Crown agreed. She admitted she had held the child down, but did not realize for what purpose until after the fact.
The one-year conditional sentence includes a curfew, a ban on the consumption of alcohol, a condition to participate in assessment and counseling for cognitive issues and a no contact clause with the daughter and children under the age of 16.
The woman’s husband is currently serving federal time in penitentiary for the sexual assault.
Drunk assault
A Yorkton man with a long history of impaired driving will spend 90 days in jail less seven days time-served for an assault with a perfume bottle.
On February 1, James Albert was highly intoxicated when he got into a domestic altercation. He threw a perfume bottle at one victim and grabbed another by the throat when she attempted to call 911.
In asking for jail time the Crown cited a bail verification report that indicated Albert had served a lengthy jail sentence for impaired driving for the last in a string of 11 DUI convictions. He also had one previous assault conviction, the Crown said.
Following the 83 days custody Albert will be on probation for nine months during which he will be required to participate in assessment and treatment for addictions and anger management.
“To say addictions is a problem for you is a gross understatement,” said Judge Ross Green.
Carelessness costly
A Yorkton man has ended up paying a high price for partying with an under-aged person a year ago.
A judge fined Clayton Belitsky a total of $2,095 including victim surcharges last week on weapons charges, providing alcohol to a minor and multiple breaches of a recognizance.
After receiving a complaint, police executed a warrant January 11, 2015 at the young man’s home where they found several illegally stored firearms. They also confiscated a set of brass knuckles.
Belitisky was released on conditions including refraining from consuming alcohol.
Last week, he pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful storage of a firearm ($200), one count of possession of a prohibited weapon ($200), one count of giving alcohol to a minor ($750) and three counts of breaching a recognizance by consuming alcohol ($100, $150 and $200).
The defence said the fines were “fair and reasonable” considering the defendant had already paid a pretty hefty price having spent a few days in jail and a year on “fairly strict” release conditions.
Prelim moved up
A preliminary hearing in the drug trafficking case of William Crawford has been moved up from May 10 to March 24 at the request of the defence.
Crawford was originally charged with cocaine trafficking in June 2014. After being released and missing a court date, a warrant was issued for his arrest and he was eventually spotted in Prince Albert on August 17, 2015. For two-and-a-half months he eluded police until October 31 when he turned up in Regina. Police pursued him for several hours breaking off the chase several times when his driving became dangerous to the public.
A co-accused on the original drug charges, Verna Watrych is scheduled to appear in Yorkton court March 14.
