Conditional sentence ordered for 2019 referee assault
By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on July 20, 2022.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com A 57-year-old man who pleaded not guilty to a 2019 assault charge earlier this year, changed his plea to guilty on Monday and received a 90-day conditional sentence.After multiple adjournments, change of lawyers and plea changes, the matter of Robert Farrell Creighton resulted in a 90-day conditional sentence order and was put on curfew. His conditions include no contact with the victim and not being allowed to consume alcohol. 
Creighton was charged in relation to a three-on-three hockey tournament Sept. 15, 2019, during which a young player got into a verbal spat with a referee, police reported. The youth struck the official with his stick and the referee pushed the player to the ice.
During the subsequent melee, a coach from the opposing team was allegedly shoved down and the ref was punched multiple times by two men before the altercation ended.
The annual Quest for the Cup tournament involved players between the ages of seven and 12 years and was organized by the Lethbridge-based skills development business, High Performance Hockey.
Creighton was charged with Todd William Cross Child, who also initially pleaded not guilty, as well, and was set to stand trial a year ago before it was cancelled.
Cross Child pleaded guilty in June 2021, to one count of assault and was given a four-month conditional sentence, to be served in the community, and for which he was placed on curfew. He was also placed on probation for eight months, to begin at the conclusion of his sentence.
—with files from Delon Shurtz Follow @APulidoHerald on Twitter 4
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