Rig worker who drove with suspended licence avoids jail time
By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on October 19, 2022.
https://www.medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews A rig worker who drove with a suspended licence to get to back to work has avoided jail time but received a stiff fine when he pleaded guilty in Medicine Hat Provincial Court on Tuesday. Defence lawyer Lyndon Heidinger told the court that at the time of the offence in Oct. 2020, his client had only worked sporadically for the previous several years, but got a call to report for a job on short notice. With one month left on a year-long driving prohibition given for dangerous driving, the man drove to a store to buy camp supplies when he was stopped by police. “He was looking to get back to work, though that’s not a legal justification,” said Heidinger. “He certainly regrets it.” The man has two younger children living with him and his common-law wife in Medicine Hat, and has now been steadily employed for two years with the same company. Crown prosecutors had asked for a $2,000 fine, a standard 30-day sentence, and a further year of driving prohibition. Instead he was fined a total of $2,080, including a surcharge, but keeps his current ability to drive and will not spend time in prison. “I’ll use my discretion, but typically, you’d go to jail,” said Judge Gordon Krinke. “Get it together, or you and your family will suffer. This sort of chance will go down the drain.” The man’s criminal record showed minor offences of a non-driving nature, and Krinke said it worked in his favour that the dangerous driving charge did not involve alcohol. Prosecutor Connor Doyle said that while the offence happened near the end of a one-year licence suspension, “the Crown certainly sees the need for driving prohibitions to be observed.” 12-11
