Two individuals have entered guilty pleas in connection to incidents from Jan. 14 and 15 of this year.
Tim Leask, 45, and Dakota Whitstone, 25, of North Battleford, entered guilty pleas Wednesday to assault with a weapon (a baseball bat) and discharging a firearm with intent to wound.
All other charges, which included counts of aggravated assault, assault using a weapon and pointing a shotgun, were withdrawn by the Crown. The men were both sentenced in North Battleford Provincial Court by Judge Brent Klause.
Leask, who appeared by closed-circuit TV from Saskatoon, received a six-year concurrent sentence less remand time credited at 1.5/1. This means he has five years and 134 days remaining to serve.
Whitstone, who appeared in person in court, received a sentence of four and a half years minus six months of remand time, which leaves four years remaining on his jail term. DNA orders and 10-year mandatory firearms prohibitions were also imposed on both individuals along with an order to not contact the victim.
According to the facts outlined in court, the incidents took place at a residential location on 104th Street in North Battleford involving Leask, Whitstone and three other individuals.
An altercation with the victim ensued Jan. 14 in which a baseball bat was involved, after which Leask and Whitstone departed.
They returned Jan. 15, and it was at that time the victim was shot in the leg with buckshot.
According to the facts outlined by the Crown, it was Leask who fired the gun, while Whitstone’s role was described as being a party to the offence. Defence lawyer Tanner Daniels described Whitstone’s involvement as helping a friend out in his situation.
Dakota Whitstone is the brother of Brydon Whitstone who was shot and killed by an RCMP member in an incident in North Battleford last October. That incident was investigated by Regina police service and had been turned over to an independent observer appointed by the ministry of justice.
Dakota’s mother was in court to support him during sentencing Wednesday.
Defence lawyer Kevin Hill described the situation as one that spun out of control and described his client, Leask, as “apologetic,” and seeking to move on and get his life back on track.
Both defence counsel also acknowledged addictions played a role in the case.
The court date had originally been scheduled for the first day of Leask’s preliminary hearing. Prosecutor Brenda Korchinski indicated the Crown had been prepared to proceed and the victim had agreed to take the stand. However, a resolution was reached. Korchinski described the victim as “very relieved” that he did not need to testify.
Judge Klause agreed to the joint submission of Crown and defence for sentencing, agreeing that the proposed sentence for both individuals was within the range.
