A pair of impaired driving matters was dealt with in Estevan provincial court on Monday, highlighting both the dangers and problems with impaired driving in Saskatchewan's southeast.
Joseph Dzuba appeared in custody during Monday's proceedings after being arrested for his latest charge of impaired driving on July 16. Dzuba had two previous impaired charges, which were scheduled to be dealt with last November. Dzuba didn't show up for sentencing at that time and there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest until he was picked up for the third drunk-driving charge.
On Monday, he pleaded guilty to the most recent charge and was then sentenced for all three. A joint submission was presented to Judge James Benison suggesting a sentence of two years of penitentiary time and a 10-year driving prohibition.
"Mr. Dzuba now has incurred just about every type of driving offence that is possible," Crown prosecutor Andrew Davis told Benison. "He has turned into a serial dangerous driver or impaired driver."
Benison noted Dzuba's criminal driving history dates back to 1995 and has continued steadily for the last 18 years.
The three most recent offences occurred between 2010 and this year, as Dzuba drove with blood-alcohol contents between 0.10 and 0.14 over the course of the three incidents.
Benison said people like Dzuba, who repeatedly drink and drive, must be sentenced to lengthy terms of incarceration.
"From your point of view, you have an opportunity while in the penitentiary to avail yourself of programming to assist you in what is a serious addiction issue," Benison told Dzuba when giving him his sentence.
The 10-year driving prohibition will begin after Dzuba is released from prison.
While nobody was injured as a result of Dzuba's impaired driving, a youth was in court Monday answering to a number of impaired driving causing bodily harm charges.
The youth cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, but he pleaded guilty to a count of impaired driving causing bodily harm to six individuals and dangerous driving causing harm to the same victims. The Crown stayed another 17 counts of similar charges.
The charges stem from an accident on Highway 39 between Estevan and Bienfait in December 2012.
A pre-sentence report was ordered, and the youth's lawyer requested that the order canvass the use of electronic monitoring. The matter was adjourned for sentencing on Sept. 9.
In other court proceedings, Barry Jefferson pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography and making child pornography available to others. A pre-sentence report was ordered for that matter as well, and Jefferson will appear back in Estevan provincial court on Nov. 4 to be sentenced.
