PEMBROKE - 

The Ontario Court of Justice, Criminal Division, convened in Pembroke on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at its Pembroke Street East location. Presiding was Justice Grant Radley-Walters. Representing the Crown attorney’s office were Elizabeth Ives-Ruyter, Saad Syed and Federal Crown Tim McCann. After a number of adjournments, 10 people were sentenced.

• Donna Sims, 37, of 49 Cleve Ave., CFB Petawawa received a $2,500 fine after she previously pleaded guilty to impaired operation of a motor vehicle.

On the night of Dec. 20, 2011, police received a 911 call from a motorist travelling along Doran Road in Petawawa. The witness reported seeing a black sedan driving through two stop signs at a high rate of speed. Police then received a second call reporting a vehicle was in the ditch near Highway 17. When they arrived at the scene, they noticed a group of people gathered around the ditched vehicle.

They found Ms. Sims leaning up against the car. Her speech was slurred and she had the strong odour of alcohol on her breath.

Officers spoke to a witness who had followed the suspect vehicle. He told them the vehicle fishtailed and was going at approximately 170 kilometres an hour. Readings showed her blood-alcohol level was .171 and .181.

Justice Radley-Walters also placed Ms. Sims on probation for 12 months during which time she must abstain from the purchase, possession, consumption and use of alcohol and substances as set out in the CDSA.

• Brian Kreitzer received a four-month conditional sentence after he previously pleaded guilty to charges of failing to provide a sample and possession of a firearm without a licence. On May 7, 2012, police received a phone call from a motorist about being passed on the road by a man with a firearm in his vehicle. Police pursued the suspect to his home, where they confronted the man. They discovered inside the car a .22-calibre handgun without a trigger lock. They found an open case of beer as well.

Of the four-month conditional sentence, the first two months are to be spent under house arrest. During his sentence, he must attend and actively participate in assessment, treatment and counselling, abstain from the purchase, possession, consumption and use of alcohol and substances listed in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) , not enter bars or taverns, and abstain from owning and possessing weapons.

Justice Radley-Walters also placed Mr. Kreitzer on probation for 12 months, during which time he is bound by the same conditions, and he imposed a 10-year weapons prohibition.

• Nathan Lavallie, 30, of 1342 Pembroke St. West Apt. E, Laurentian Valley, pleaded guilty to the charge of operating a motor vehicle while disqualified.

ON June 30, 2012 officers from the Upper Ottawa Valley detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police were conducting a RIDE check at the intersection of Whitewater Road and Highway 41. The officer observed a white Pontiac travelling north on Highway 41 which swerved side to side. When speaking with the driver, Mr. Lavallie, the officer detected the odour of alcohol on his breath. He passed the approved roadside screening device, but further investigation revealed Mr. Lavallie was bound by a lifetime driving prohibition.

Justice Radley-Walters imposed a 30-day sentence to be served intermittently and an additional lifetime driving prohibition.

• Kevin Vaillancourt-Lefrançois, 24, of 61 Main St. Apt. 7, Chalk River, pleaded guilty to the charge of uttering a threat to cause bodily harm.

The court heard that on June 13, 2012 a woman contacted the CFB Petawawa Military Police because she had received a threatening text message from Mr. Vaillancourt-Lefrançois. Crown attorney Syed told the court part of the message involved a comment that brake lines in a car are easy to reach. Since the accused is a mechanic, it caused the woman to fear for her life.

Mr. Vaillancourt-Lefrançois received a conditional discharge and was placed on probation for 12 months. Justice Radley-Walters condemned the behaviour, particularly because he is capable of following through with the threat.

He must attend and actively participate in assessment, treatment and counselling and not have contract with the victim.

• Lynda Gale, 53, of 400 Nelson St. Apt. 4, pleaded guilty to the charge of assault with a weapon.

The court heard that around 7 a.m. Sept. 12, 2012 a man attended the Pembroke police station to report he had been stabbed in the stomach by Ms. Gale.

He reported the two had been drinking together for a couple of days and he was sleeping on the couch when she approached him and stabbed him once with a six-inch blade.

Police attended Ms. Gale’s residence where she invited them in. They observed the knife on the kitchen counter and she admitted to stabbing the man.

Justice Radley-Walters called the circumstances themselves aggravating, as she could have killed the man. He imposed a nine-month conditional sentence with the first six months to be spent under house arrest. During her sentence and two years following when she is on probation, Ms. Gale must abstain from the purchase, possession, consumption and use of alcohol and substances as set out in the CDSA, attend and actively participate in assessment, treatment and counselling and not associate with the man. The judge also imposed a five-year weapons prohibition and ordered she provide a DNA sample.

• Kyle Jones, 24, of 440 Isabella St., pleaded guilty to charges of being at large on a recognizance, breach of probation and possession of a substance.

The Pembroke police were called to a residence on Pembroke Street East on July 13, where they found Mr. Jones and a female he was not to have contact with, so he was arrested. During a search police found three small buds of marijuana and a pipe with marijuana residue on his person.

He was sentenced to 29 days in jail after he received credit for 16 days presentence custody. He was also placed on probation for 12 months, during which time he must abstain from the purchase, possession, consumption and use of substances as set out by the CDSA and provide a DNA sample.

• William Schison, 42, of 1517 Woito Station Rd., North Algona Wilberforce, pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of a substance.

On June 23, 2012 while on patrol an officer observed Mr. Schison driving, but he was aware Mr. Schison was a suspended driver so the officer followed him into a driveway and arrested him. During the search, the officer located 2.3 grams on his person.

Mr. Schison was fined $300 and placed on probation for six months, during which time he must abstain from the purchase, possession, consumption and use of substances as set out in the CDSA.

• Greg Comeau, 42, of 1765 Barron Canyon Rd., pleaded guilty to the charge of theft under $5,000.

On July 10, 2012, Mr. Comeau was observed loading rail connectors, which were the property of Canadian Pacific Railway, into his pickup truck. He then took the 30 pieces to a local wrecker and received a total of $221.

The steel was recovered from the wrecker and he repaid the wrecker the amount of money it was out because of his activities.

He received a suspended sentence and one day’s probation.

• Katelyn Lapierre, 21, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to charges of mischief under $5,000 and failing to attend court.

On Feb. 10, 2012 after a night of drinking, Ms. Lapierre damaged a door to a room at one of the barracks buildings at CFB Petawawa. She then failed to attend court for a scheduled appearance on Aug. 14, 2012.

She was sentenced to 68 days in jail, but received credit for eight days presentence custody.

• Bradley Swann, 41, of Perth, Ont. pleaded guilty to chargers of assault and failing to attend court.

The court heard that on Aug. 8, 2009 CFB Petawawa military police responded to a 911 call from a woman who had been punched in the face by Mr. Swann.

On Feb. 5, 2010 he failed to attend court for his trial.

He was sentenced to 30 days in jail, but because he has spent 27 days in custody dating back to 2009 and most recently since he was arrested Sept. 25, he will spend an additional three days in jail followed by 12 months probation, during which time he is not to associate with the woman.

tina.peplinskie@sunmedia.ca