An individual facing several drug and weapons charges has entered several guilty pleas in North Battleford provincial court Tuesday.
Jordan Waskewitch, 27, of Onion Lake First Nation, pled guilty to eight counts including the two most serious counts: flight from police, and possession of a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public peace. In this case, it was an assault rifle.
Other guilty pleas were entered for breach of probation by operating a motor vehicle, possession of an overcapacity magazine, possession of a firearm without a licence, possession of a switch blade and possession of brass knuckles.
He was also been charged with possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, but instead pled guilty to the lesser offence of possession of meth under s. 4(1) of the Controlled Drug and Substances Act.
Stays of proceedings were entered on the other four counts by the Crown.
Judge Bruce Bauer sentenced Waskewitch to an overall sentence of two years less a day, less remand time. That sentence is for the flight from police count; there were also concurrent sentences imposed for the other seven counts that ranged from 60 days to nine months.
Waskewitch has spent 229 days in remand. With his remand time credited at 1.5 to one, Waskewitch’s jail term still has one year and 21 days left to run.
That will be followed by 18 months probation. A firearms prohibition under s.109 of the Criminal Code was also ordered, to run for 15 years following his release. In the case of prohibited and restricted weapons, the firearms ban is for life.
The judge also ordered a DNA sample. Victim surcharges of $1,600 were also imposed.
This case stemmed from Jan. 11, 2018 when Battlefords RCMP along with Provincial and Municipal General Investigation Sections pursued a vehicle south of Battleford following a call to police.
According to the facts outlined in court, the initial pursuit was called off due to safety concerns when the vehicle entered the Battleford town limits. Later the vehicle fled towards a rural area south of Battleford and eventually got stuck in a field.
After a brief foot chase, Waskewitch was taken into custody, along with an adult female passenger; she was later released.
Waskewitch had been scheduled to go to trial on all 12 counts Tuesday, but it did not go ahead. Both Crown and defence counsel held lengthy discussions throughout the morning before finally entering a joint submission on Waskewitch’s matters.
In imposing sentence, Bauer noted several aggravating factors such as possession of drugs and weapons, including two prohibited weapons – brass knuckles and a spring-assisted blade knife. The firearm, the over-capacity magazine, and high rates of speed to avoid police were also cited.
However, mitigating factors included the early guilty plea, Gladue factors, as well as family support and a potentially positive future.
