Letter of Support from the Princeton RCMP
COURT NEWS - December 20, 2005
JUDGE FINES COUPLE FOR DOG ABUSE
A local couple appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on December 15 to plead guilty to a charge of causing an animal to continue to be in distress.
The charge was laid January 29, 2005, after a veterinary assistant advised police of a puppy with a badly infected eye that needed treatment.
Police went to the couplešs house to see if the puppy had been treated, and found the puppy in poor condition. Holly Jansen and Randy Pirson had decided to care for the puppy at their home, as they were unable to pay a veterinarian and were afraid the SPCA would take the puppy away.
The puppy was removed from the couplešs care and the couple was charged.
Crown Counsel requested the couple be prohibited from owning pets, but Pirson protested, saying they had an adult dog which had been their pet for many years. Judge G. Sinclair allowed them to keep the dog but prohibited them from acquiring any new pets for one year. In addition, they must each pay a $150 fine.
"LET US HAVE PEACE IN HEDLEY"
Jedson Long, a Hedley resident, appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on December 15 to plead guilty to a break and enter charge. Long said he went into the home of Garry Zroback of Hedley to take Zrobackšs gun, as Zroback had threatened to use the gun on him after a dispute. (Zroback denied uttering threats.)The break-in caused $350 damage. Long admitted it was his idea that he and Wyatt Fast should break into Zrobackšs house.
A pre-sentence report described Long as a "fairly responsible citizen and family man".
Judge G. Sinclair said, "We have to keep the peace in Hedley just like everywhere else."
He sentenced Long to pay the damages and serve 12 months probation, and concluded saying, "Let us have peace in Hedley."
ABBOTSFORD MAN LOSES THREE YEARS
An Abbotsford resident, 49 year old Michael Harder, appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on December 15 to be sentenced for care and control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Harder had been found passed out in his vehicle on October 2, 2004.Blood alcohol levels were .220 and .223.
Harder pled guilty in October in Princeton, and was recommended for electronic monitoring. Judge G. Sinclair ordered 45 days of house arrest, during which Harder is allowed to go to his job. As this was his fifth impaired driving conviction, Harder was prohibited from driving for three years plus 45 days.
COALMONT MAN AGREES TO QUIET
Kenneth Thompson of Coalmont stood trial on December 15 in Provincial Court in Princeton. He was charged with careless use of a firearm following a report on July 30, 2004, when a call to 911 indicated shots fired in Coalmont.Thompson maintained he was not drunk and did not fire a rifle. He admitted having a couple of drinks and firing a shotgun to chase away crows making a racket in cottonwoods near his home.
He maintained that the shotgun pellets would not have endangered anyone in the direction he was shooting.
After all of the testimony was heard from police and Thompson, a conference was held between Judge G. Sinclair, Crown Counsel and Thompson.
Thompson agreed he could plead guilty to a lesser charge of creating a disturbance.
Judge Sinclair sentenced Thompson to a conditional discharge of eight months probation, during which his firearms will remain in storage.
DRIVER LOSES LICENCE
A charge of driving while prohibited brought Princeton resident Tami Venini to Provincial Court on December 15.She had been stopped while driving on River Road on October 21, 2005. She entered a guilty plea and was ordered to pay a $500 fine. Venini is prohibited from driving for one year.
MAN PAYS FOR THEFT
David Vandersteen, of Hedley, appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on December 15 to plead guilty to a charge of theft.In an RCMP road check on September 13, 2005, he was found to be operating a vehicle with stolen license plates.
He was ordered to pay a $200 fine.
GROW OP CASE MOVED
The preliminary inquiry into the activities of Clayton Grauer, Jeremy Morris and Amandeep Randhawa has been moved to Surrey, B.C. Charges of production of a controlled substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking were laid following a search and seizure of marijuana and grow equipment in the Princeton area.MAN PAYS DAMAGES
Breaking business windows can prove to be expensive. This was a lesson learned by Matthew Waddington.He pled guilty to a mischief charge when he appeared in Provincial Court in Princeton on December 15.
The 22 year old Waddington and another male must pay $136 each for the damage. Waddington will serve nine months probation.
Province of British Columbia Criminal Court Lists
