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Vehicle thefts, impaired driving and mischief

Vehicle thefts, impaired driving and mischief were some of the charges to pass through Estevan Provincial Court on Monday. First up, Derek Ryan Wolfe appeared by video in custody, facing several charges from Sept. 10 of last year.
court house

Vehicle thefts, impaired driving and mischief were some of the charges to pass through Estevan Provincial Court on Monday.

First up, Derek Ryan Wolfe appeared by video in custody, facing several charges from Sept. 10 of last year. The first included theft of a 2013 Ford Expedition near Bienfait. The second charge was setting fire to a 2007 Chev Uplander van near Estevan.

Additional charges included theft under $5,000, theft of two different Visa cards and associated charges for using them knowing they were obtained by crime. The last charge was one of fraud.

It was Wolfe’s first appearance, and he told Judge Michelle Brass, “I’ll have to speak to legal aid.”

His next appearance will be May 13 by video. He remains in custody.

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Hitting the bottle after breaking up with his common law wife landed Craig D. Denys before the judge.

As part of a joint submission on Monday, he pleaded guilty to a mischief charge on Dec. 30, 2019. He had been drinking at the Black Grasshopper. A subsequent charge of breach of undertaking was laid on a later date for his refusal to leave Eddie's Lounge.

For all this he was given a $1,000 fine and a suspended sentence with probation for nine months. He was also to take substance abuse programming and not attend the one of the bars.

Police were contacted at 1 a.m. on Dec. 30 after Denys caused a disturbance at the pub. He had refused to pay for drinks he had ordered for the band that was playing. Crown prosecutor Mitch Crumley said Denys had become difficult for police to deal with, and was “acting in a boorish kind of manner.”

In custody in police cells, Denys removed his clothing, urinated on the floor, then tried to damage or disrupt the video camera in his cell. He did this by throwing water at it and trying to remove the cover. He only got as far as damaging the caulking around it.

Defence attorney Chris McLeod, appearing by phone, said Denys was 40 years of age and a boilermaker for 15 years. He had broken up with his common law wife of five years and was upset and went drinking.

“Since then he hasn’t drank to excess,” McLeod said, adding this was “nothing to be proud of. He recognized the behaviour was well out of line.”

McLeod asked for three months to pay the fine.

When asked if he had anything to say, Denys said, “I’m sorry for what I did. Life is hard sometimes.”

He added he thought he had paid cash for everything, and then he was asked to pay for six more drinks.

With that, Brass noted that alcohol was a factor. She gave him the fine and suspended sentence.

The prosecutor did not ask for a non-consumption condition as part of the sentence, something that is almost uniformly asked for in most cases. Crumley’s reasoning was it would “set him up to fail.”

There was some discussion about the residency clause, as Denys said, “My work takes me all over Alberta, B.C., and maybe Montreal.”

He added that his permanent address is on Vancouver Island.

It was decided his probation arrangements could be modified as needed should he move.

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Shiane Alex Goodwin pleaded guilty to one charge of impaired operation of a motor vehicle. Charges of failing to remain at a collision and having a blood alcohol level over .08 were stayed as part of a joint submission.

At 10:30 p.m. Feb. 9, a red Chrysler driven by Goodwin struck a Dodge Durango in Estevan. The Chrysler had significant front-end damage. It was later found on Isabelle Street.

Goodwin was found inside, having arrived a short time earlier. She was talking on her cellphone at the time, and had dilated eyes. She denied being in an accident, attributing it to another person.

Goodwin is 20 years old, and intends on attending post-secondary training in the fall. She had worked as a server in a licensed restaurant, but lost her job as a result of the charges and had not found other work.

“She panicked a bit at the time,” Crumley said. “She is quite contrite and determined this will not happen again.”

“I’m sorry about what happened and I shouldn’t have been driving that night,” Goodwin told the judge.

Goodwin was sentenced to a $1,200 fine and a one-year driving prohibition.