A man who spat at a local store security guard, threatened to hurt her and then damaged the back of a police car after his arrest was sentenced to another 94 days in jail.
Orville Paul pleaded guilty to one count each of assault, uttering threats and mischief for the incident that took place on June 4 this year at St. Albert Centre.
Paul’s total sentence was for four months, but he has been in custody since July when he was arrested for failing to make a court appearance on the charge.
The security guard found Paul asleep in a chair outside the Bay store and made several polite attempts to wake him. When he did wake up he became immediately agitated and yelled at the guard.
As he was being escorted out, he said he was going to punch her in the side of the head and spat at her twice. Both times the spit landed on the woman’s pant leg.
Paul was extremely intoxicated and police found him a short distance away at the McDonald’s closest to St. Albert Centre. While he initially co-operated with police, he became much more aggressive in the back of the police car, kicking the back door and window and doing considerable damage.
Paul apologized to the court and to the security guard he said alcohol was clearly a significant problem in his life that needed to be addressed.
“I would just like to apologize to the security guard,” he said. “If I was sober this wouldn’t happen.”
Paul will serve an additional 12 months of probation after his jail term is up. While on that term he will have to complete a residential treatment program and abstain completely from alcohol.
An Edmonton man, arrested for trafficking in cocaine last month, pleaded guilty Monday and was placed on house arrest.
Brian Arthur Webster, 22, pleaded guilty for two sales that took place on July 11 and July 18. In both cases Webster sold a small amount of cocaine to an undercover officer.
Crown prosecutor said he agreed to the relatively light sentence of house arrest on the charges, because Webster had no record, had been co-operative with police and had pleaded guilty very early in the process.
Judge Bruce Garriock accepted the proposed sentence, saying it appeared Webster had made one poor decision.
“I am hopeful this is more of a one-off situation, rather than a pattern of conduct.”
Webster will be on permanent house arrest for the first 12 months of the sentence, with exceptions only for work and community service hours.
Webster has to complete 80 hours of community service. Crown prosecutor Kevin Short, proposed an unusual condition, which he said had been used in other jurisdictions. In this case, if Webster completes those 80 hours within eight months he will have his house arrest loosened earlier.
The looser house arrest still includes a nightly curfew and if he fails to complete the community service hours within eight months it will begin after 12 months.
