NEWS FILE PHOTO The Medicine Hat Provincial Court is seen in this file photo.
Medicine Hat News
A Medicine Hat man who last week threatened to sue the Crown for “unlawful confinement,” pled guilty Tuesday to two of four charges faced, and was sentenced to 45 days in jail.
David Marthaller, 40, who was arrested after a three-hour standoff with Medicine Hat police that ended in him getting pepper sprayed, pled guilty to charges of possessing a dangerous weapon and uttering threats.
The other two charges — possession of a prohibited weapon and possession of stolen property under $5,000 — were withdrawn by the Crown.
Marthaller has been in the Medicine Hat Remand Centre for 36 days, so he will be serving nine more due to credit for time served. He was also fined $200.
At his previous appearance, Marthaller demanded to know the name of the Crown prosecutor, claiming he was working on civil litigation against the Crown.
As the judge and prosecutor explained, there is no single Crown prosecutor assigned to his case.
Marthaller was arrested on Aug. 19, following an altercation with another man on an island on the South Saskatchewan River. They were both living in tents near Strathcona Island Park.
Marthaller allegedly threatened the other man with a knife.
After a lengthy standoff, the Medicine Hat Police Service Tactical Team was called in, subduing the accused with pepper spray.
