Woman gets jail time for assault over stolen liquor
By Delon Shurtz on November 4, 2021.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com Sharise Marie-Ann Smith was already on the skids when she arrived in Lethbridge from Calgary on March 21 of last year.The 30-year-old woman, who carried with her what few possessions she owned, stayed the night at the shelter, but when she awoke the next day she discovered her belongings had been stolen. Her day didn’t get any better after that.
At about 8:15 p.m. that evening, Smith entered Friday’s Liquor on 13 Street North and selected three bottles of rye whiskey. She walked around the store before getting in line behind another customer who was already making a purchase. She hid one of the bottles in her pants under her coat, and then simply left the store without paying.
The store clerk followed Smith and confronted her in the parking lot. When the clerk grabbed at Smith to recover the liquor, Smith said, “are you really going to attack me over a few bottles?”
The clerk said she only wanted the stolen liquor, and a struggle ensued, during which Smith punched her in the face, then ran away. Two of the bottles of liquor fell to the ground during the struggle, but Smith made off with the third and it was never recovered.
The clerk, who sustained bruising to the side of her face, called police, and not long afterward they found Smith a short distance away.
Smith pleaded guilty Wednesday in Lethbridge provincial court to charges of assault and theft under $5,000, and was sentenced to three months in jail.
Lethbridge lawyer Wade Hlady said Smith suffers from substance abuse, and was intoxicated at the time of the incident. He said she is remorseful for her actions, not only because she assaulted the clerk, but because her family has a good relationship with the owners of the liquor store.
“(She) feels bad that the trust was broken on a more personal level and a familial level,” Hlady said.
In addition to her jail sentence, for which she was credited the equivalent of 51 days spent in pre-trial custody, Smith will be on probation for eight months following her release.
That release may not be for some time, however, because Smith is currently in custody on other matters, one of which is set for trial.
Hlady asked Judge Kristin Ailsby to prohibit Smith only from contacting the clerk as part of her probation conditions, and not prohibit her from contacting the owners of Friday’s Liquor, since the families are friends. However, Ailsby, who noted she was concerned the young clerk was working alone that night, prohibited Smith from going to the liquor store. Follow @DShurtzHerald on Twitter 4
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