H.P. court docket
Sept. 13, 2021
Judge D.R. Shynkar
A man from Atikameg who threatened police will be a lot lighter in the pocketbook for his actions.
Dennis Sawan, 43, was fined $500 in High Prairie provincial court Sept. 13 after pleading guilty to resisting a peace officer. He was also sentenced to 14 days in jail for uttering death threats but given credit for time served in custody while awaiting his court appearance.
Court heard Sawan was not co-operative when police came to his residence to serve him a subpoena, Crown prosecutor Sheen Kachroo told Judge D.R. Shynkar.
Sawan was outside the residence when police arrived.
“He told police he was a sniper and he told police he would snipe anyone who would go inside his house,” Kachroo said.
Sawan also threatened officers.
“He says, ‘I’m going to [f***ing] kill you,” the Crown alleged.
Duty counsel Harry Jong appeared in court with Sawan and said his client was intoxicated at the time.
“He didn’t know what he was doing,” Jong said.
“He just didn’t want to talk to the cops.”
Rocky Jerry Stewart, 48, of Wabasca, was sentenced to 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to three counts of failing to comply with release conditions.
Court heard Stewart breached orders on Sept. 10 to have no contact with a named female and not be in or near her residence, Crown prosecutor Sheen Kachroo said.
“You can’t be in contact with her,” Judge D.R. Shynkar said during sentencing, while agreeing with a joint submission from the Crown and duty counsel Harry Jong.
Jong told court Stewart has lived with the named female for 15 years.
“It’s her who phones him to come back home and he does,” Jong said.
“He’s got to learn to stay away from her altogether,” he added.
Stewart was credited for five days served in jail and has 25 remaining days to serve.
Kelsey W. Lamouche, 31, of Sucker Creek, was fined the minimum $2,000 after pleading guilty to driving a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content over 80 mg.
The charge arose after Lamouche was stopped by Lakeshore Regional Police Service on Oct. 2, 2020, Crown prosecutor Sheen Kachroo said.
“An officer was on patrols and observed a person operating a vehicle erratically,” Kachroo added.
In addition to the fine, Lamouche was also suspended from driving for 12 months.
Scott Morice, of Janvier, AB was sentenced to 60 days in jail after pleading guilty to mischief causing damage over $5,000.
However, Janvier will serve no additional time after being credited for time served.
Morice damaged a vehicle at the High Prairie RCMP station on May 25 when he was being transported by Alberta Sheriffs to Peace River, Crown prosecutor Sheen Kachroo submitted.
“He started to destroy the inside of the vehicle and take out some wires,” the Crown said.
Total damage was almost $7,000.
Disclosure did not determine if the vehicle was a sheriff’s van or a police vehicle.
Morice told court he was uncertain what was going on.
“I was scared something was going to happen to me that day,” Morice told Judge D.R. Shynkar, who accepted the joint submission for sentencing from the Crown and lawyer Harry Jong.
He added he thought officers were going to beat him up.
Kelly Ominayak, 21, of Peace River, was sentenced to 20 days after pleading guilty to using a stolen credit card.
Crown prosecutor Kelly Payne told court Ominayak used a stolen credit at Freson Bros. in High Prairie.
The credit card was declined, the Crown said.
Duty counsel Harry Jong appeared in court with Ominayak and said she wanted to buy some juice that cost $1.69, although she didn’t have any money. Her friend offered Ominayak a credit card that belonged to another person who did not give them permission to use it.
Ominayak was credited for nine days served and has 11 days left on her sentence.