Court briefs: Community sentence for man who held up in garage over border officials’ error
By ALEX McCUAIG Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on June 16, 2021.
amccuaig@medicinehatnews.com A man accused of resisting arrest by holding up in his garage after city police were asked to assist in a Canadian Border Service Agency investigation received a one-year community sentence Tuesday at provincial court. CBSA officials incorrectly believed Robert Bailey was attempting to import a silencer, which turned out to be a filter in May 2020. When city police attempted to investigate, Cole resisted by going into his garage and challenging police to fight, according to Crown submissions following his guilty plea to resisting arrest and weapons charges. Police were able to negotiate Cole’s surrender and a subsequent search of his garage turned up several prohibited weapons including a switch blade, Tazer, throwing stars and nunchucks. As part of his community sentence, Cole will be under house arrest for the first six months – with exceptions for work, medical appointments and counselling – followed by six months of a nightly curfew. ‘Toxic’ relationship ends in jail, probation A man accused of multiple breaches in connection with his relationship with a city woman along with mischief, uttering threats and assault earlier this year was sentenced to three months time-served and one-year probation. Makenzie Hart and Lola Dejong each had multiple court orders to have no contact with each other. Police were called to a health clinic after a dispute between the two over whether Hart’s number was called to receive services. The two began to yell at each other and Hart grabbed Dejong by the arm, incurring an assault charge as well in connection with the incident. City police also saw the pair together on two other occasions resulting in further charges. Defence lawyer Allan Faye described the relationship between the two as an “intense and, in my opinion, toxic relationship,” and added the man’s health issues contributed to his situation. Uttering threats charges were laid when Hart reacted negatively after being informed he would not be provided social assistance. “I’m going to jump over this Plexiglas and kill you,” the court heard Hart said to a worker. Hart also pleaded guilty to mischief charges in relation to covering a rental property with ketchup and striking a vehicle in the S. Railway area. Hart received a restitution order for $470 and $805 respectively for those two incidents. 10 days for trying to fight landscaper Clayton Hotel received a 10-day sentence in connection with an incident at Riverside Memorial Park earlier this month. The court heard Hotel was trying to fight a city maintenance worker attempting to mow the grass at the park on June 9. Arson accused going to trial A woman accused of an August 2020 arson involving a Crestwood four-plex has entered a not-guilty plea with the matter now set for a three-day trial in November. Natalie Denholm was arrested and charged by city police following an arson investigation prompted by fire officials who found the fire was deliberately set. No one was injured in the fire. The trial will be heard from Nov. 8-10 at Medicine Hat Provincial Court. 26-25
