A man who tried to walk into traffic along a busy roadway at rush hour will now be released following six months in jail.
Sebastian W. Robertson appeared in St. Albert court via closed-circuit television (CCTV) from the Edmonton Remand Centre to face charges of assault, resisting a peace officer and loitering in public.
The charges stemmed from an incident on Aug. 29 when St. Albert RCMP and the Edmonton Police Service were called to assist a possible suicidal man. The man, later identified as Robertson, was attempting to walk into rush-hour traffic on the 170 Street overpass above Anthony Henday Drive west of St. Albert Trail.
Officer notes described the 19-year-old as sweating, drooling and talking gibberish. He told officers he was high on magic mushrooms.
As officers tried to handcuff him, Robertson became violent, yelling threats and balling his hands into fists. When a paramedic tried to put an IV in his arm, the 19-year-old spat at her, which hit the arm the officer was using to shield her face.
In court Monday Robertson pleaded guilty to assault.
At the time of his arrest, Robertson was wanted on outstanding warrants out of British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Just three weeks earlier he was released from jail after serving 30 days for convictions of theft under $5,000 and mischief.
Court heard he went on a three-week drug binge. The 19-year-old has been living on the streets since the age of 16.
For the assault charge, Judge Bruce Garriock handed Robertson a sentence of 60 days in jail and 18 months probation with a condition to abstain from alcohol and other intoxicating substances.
Since he has been in custody since the incident, Robertson was given credit for time served and was released. The remaining charges were withdrawn.
A drunken challenge to fight people outside a bar has sent one man to jail for the next two months.
Matthew Jacob Cholewa appeared in St. Albert court via CCTV from the remand centre on Monday and pleaded guilty to causing a disturbance in a public place by being drunk and breaching a condition of his probation.
Just before midnight on Oct. 16, St. Albert RCMP were called to The Beer Hunter Bar & Grill on St. Albert Trail where a man was yelling and egging on people to fight him in the bar’s parking lot.
Police identified the man as Cholewa. He had been cut off by a bartender earlier that night.
Court heard the 28-year-old had previous convictions of impaired driving and careless use of a firearm. In March he received a 12-month suspended sentence for causing a disturbance in a public place. One of the conditions of his probation was to abstain from alcohol.
Cholewa was sentenced to 60 days in jail.
A man will be off the road for at least three months after he was caught drunk behind the wheel.
Andrew Thomas Austin appeared in court on Monday to face charges of impaired operation of a motor vehicle and failure to provide a breath sample. Austin pleaded guilty to the latter charge.
On June 22 around 2:30 a.m., St. Albert RCMP followed a vehicle travelling northbound on St. Albert Trail by Giroux Road. The vehicle was veering back and forth over the centre line before officers pulled it over.
Officers noted a distinct odour of alcohol and slurred speech coming from the driver, who was later identified as Austin. They were unable to get a suitable breath sample.
Garriock handed Austin a $1,000 fine and a one-year driving prohibition. He can apply to the Interlock program after three months.
