A 24-year-old woman was sentenced to six months in jail followed by a three-month conditional sentence for taking Battlefords RCMP on a high-speed chase last month.
Judge Murray Pelletier sentenced Niesha Baptiste of Moosomin First Nation in North Battleford Provincial court May 26 on charges of flight from police, resisting arrest, possession of property obtained by crime, and breach of probation.
Crown Prosecutor Kofi Nkrumah-Young told the court that the vehicle Baptiste was driving reached speeds of up to 180 kilometres an hour during the pursuit that ended in Battleford.
Baptiste and Delainey Sunchild Moosomin, 23, were arrested April 4. Battlefords RCMP say that an unknown man entered a residence and demanded vehicle keys from the property owner. The suspect was given keys to a 2002 white Buick Century. Police recovered the vehicle not long after and arrested Moosomin and Baptiste.
Nkrumah-Young told the court there was no indication that Baptiste was a part of the robbery at the residence.
Defence lawyer Andrew Lyster said that Baptiste wants to go back to school. In addition, she wants to get help at a treatment centre to deal with her alcohol addiction.
Baptiste was sentenced to six-months in jail less 80 days credit for time served in pretrial custody. After she is released from jail she will serve a three-month conditional sentence in the community with a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Following that sentence she will be on 12 months probation with a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. for the first three months.
She was also ordered to take any counseling told to do so by her probation officer, not to consume alcohol or drugs that aren’t prescribed.
“I hope everything works out for you, your plan for your future,” said Judge Pelletier after sentencing Baptiste. “These conditions, if you actually follow them, will make your life so much simpler and less complicated.”
Judge Pelletier cautioned her “just focus and prioritize your own interests and those of the people that you love and care for and keep it at that.”
He commended her for wanting to further her education.
“I know you have plans to return to school. That’s good you need to do that. Don’t complicate your life. You’re still young enough to do something with it and turn it around but you actually have to do the work. It’s a lot of hard work let me tell you, and not everyone is going to be on your side. If you want to get out of this cycle then follow these conditions and break it.”
