H.P. court docket
Aug. 29, 2022
Judge A.R. Chrenek
An Atikameg man apologized for his unhealthy and unruly actions when he was sentenced in High Prairie provincial court Aug. 29.
Dennis Andrew (Junior) Sawan, 41, was handed a global sentence of 150 days for assault with a weapon, resisting a peace officer, two counts of failing to comply with conditions and one count of breach of probation.
He was given credit for 90 days served in custody.
Sawan was under the influence of drugs when he assaulted an Emergency Medical Services EMT on Sept. 11, 2020, Crown prosecutor Adriene Shapka says.
He was wearing a face mask that was required under provincial COVID-19 restrictions at the time.
“He took off his mask that was full of drool and threw it at a female EMT and hit her in the eye,” the Crown says.
Judge A.R. Chrenek called the move “aggravating”, especially during the pandemic and restrictions.
When RCMP attempted to apprehend him, Sawan did not allow officers to grab his arm, Shapka says.
The Crown further appreciated Sawan’s guilty pleas.
“He is taking responsibility by his guilty pleas,’ the Crown says.
Sawan also spoke to the court from a prepared statement.
“I’m sorry for hurting people, physically and emotionally,” Sawan says.
“From my heart, I’m sorry.”
He also pledged to take further treatment and get away from a life of crime.
Sawan breached conditions when he was not inside an approved home on a curfew from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. when police arrived for a curfew check, the Crown says.
On another breach, Sawan failed to complete residential treatment.
“He self-terminated from the program after one day,” the Crown says.
Sawan also failed to register with the Sex Offender Information Registry at the High Prairie RCMP station.
He was required to register annually.
Sawan was fined $600 for another assault.
He was in a home in Atikameg on July 14, 2020.
A male resident asked him to leave, but he didn’t.
Sawan pushed the male with two hands
“He struck him in the mouth with a fist,” the Crown says.
Sawan was also fined $3,000 for driving a motor vehicle without insurance.
He repairs vehicles, Jong says.
After he repaired the vehicle, Sawan took it for a test drive when he was stopped by police, Jong says.
Sawan was ordered by the judge to pay the fines by Aug. 31, 2023.
Catlin Lee Patrick Giroux, 35, of Driftpile, was fined $150 for failing to remain at the scene of an accident involving an off-highway vehicle.
Duty counsel Harry Jong described the incident.
“He was driving a quad when a tie rod broke and he hit a dog house,” Jong says.
No dog was inside the dog house, he says.
Duty counsel notes that Giroux has limited money to pay a fine.
“He can’t pay much because he’s on welfare,” Jong says.
Judge A.R. Chrenek ordered Giroux to pay the fine by Dec. 2.