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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Crown's case against a Behchoko RCMP officer charged with impaired driving was in territorial court on Sept. 8, but his trial was postponed for a second time.

Const. Trent Ronald Hayward was charged with the offence after he was pulled over by the RCMP 30 km west of Yellowknife on Nov. 13, 2010. Hayward pleaded not guilty to the charge on March 8.

Trial dates had been set for June 22 and Sept. 23, and last Thursday, Judge Christine Gagnon granted the Crown's request for a new trial date of Nov. 24 because one of the Crown's witnesses would be unavailable for the Sept. 23 date.

Hayward's lawyer, Rod Gregory, was critical of the adjournment because his client is currently on administrative leave from the RCMP.

"He's suffering," said Gregory.

Woman tries to punch, kick RCMP officers

A Yellowknife woman who tried to punch and kick two RCMP officers while in jail was fined in territorial court on Sept. 13 for resisting arrest.

On June 13 at 1:30 a.m., the RCMP arrested the highly intoxicated 27-year-old woman in front of Harley's Hard Rock Saloon, said Crown prosecutor Jill Andrews. As officers tried to search her in a jail cell at police headquarters, she became upset, started yelling and tried to punch and kick the officers but missed.

Andrews asked Judge Robert Gorin to impose a fine and probation for the woman. Defence lawyer Tracy Bock agreed to only a fine. Bock added that his client is remorseful and wants to improve her life by going to Aurora College in the future. Gorin agreed with the recommendation and imposed a $200 fine and a $30 victims of crime surcharge, and he gave her two months to pay.

He noted the woman's criminal record was dated with two convictions in 2004 that didn't result in any jail time. After sentencing, Gorin encouraged the woman to stay away from alcohol in the future.

Fine, driving ban for being drunk in driver's seat of parked van

A woman who sat behind the wheel of her van drunk while in a friend's driveway and then tried to walk away from police with the keys was fined $1,000 in territorial court on Sept. 13.

She pleaded guilty to being in care and control of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. On July 16, the Yellowknife RCMP received a complaint at 7:20 p.m. of a possible drunk driver, said Crown prosecutor Jill Andrews. When the officers arrived, they found a grey van running in a driveway and a municipal enforcement vehicle parked behind it. When the female driver exited the van, she had the van's keys in her hand and was unsteady on her feet.

The 35-year-old woman, who had no prior criminal record, was taken back to the Yellowknife detachment where she registered two breathalyzer samples - both reading 230 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood - almost three times more than the legal limit of 80 milligrams. Andrews asked Judge Robert Gorin to impose a $1,200 fine and a 14-16 month driving ban.

Defence lawyer Hugh Latimer told the court this incident was out of character for his client, and agreed a fine would be appropriate.

Gorin, giving the offender credit for her guilty plea hours before sentencing, imposed a one-year driving ban in addition to the fine, and gave her five months to pay.

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