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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Hay River man who drove away while a woman hung onto his driver's side window was sentenced to six months in jail in Supreme Court on Jan. 29.

Andrew Draskoczi, who has lived in Hay River for the past four years, pleaded guilty to the charge of criminal negligence causing bodily harm last week in a Yellowknife courtroom.

On Dec. 12, 2012, at around 7 p.m., Hay River RCMP responded to a complaint from a resident that she had seen a woman rolling off a white pick-up truck and had brought her to the hospital. The victim's nose, upper lip and right knee were swollen, bruised and scratched up. She suffered a broken nose and rib.

Draskoczi, 37, was in the vehicle's driver's seat behind the arena with his girlfriend, who was in the passenger seat, when an argument ensued between Draskoczi and the female victim who was standing by the driver's window. The victim had given Draskoczi $100 and wanted it back. Draskoczi drove away on Woodland Drive and turned right on Courtoreille Street - travelling about 100 metres - with the victim still holding onto the driver's side window. She then rolled onto the road while Draskoczi drove away.

Draskoczi gave police a statement the following day confirming that he did not stop to ensure the victim was OK and has been in custody since then.

"The reasonable person would have stopped the car," said Crown prosecutor Wendy Miller.

Miller said Draskoczi has past convictions of failing to stop at the scene of an accident and driving while impaired, and asked for four to six months custody for the December charge and a driving probation of one year. The defence asked for four to five months to be served minus time served in custody at a ratio of one to 1.5 since Draskoczi has been volunteering in the kitchen at the North Slave Correctional Centre.

Defence attorney Serge Petitpas said Draskoczi also had hopes of being employed as a commercial fisherman in Hay River in the future.

Justice Louise Charbonneau said Draskoczi was very lucky the injuries to the victim weren't more serious and that a vehicle can be "a very dangerous weapon."

She sentenced Draskoczi to six months in jail minus time served, which she rounded up to two months from the 47 days Draskoczi has been in custody, leaving four months left to serve. She called for a driving probation of one year and four months from the sentencing date.

Draskoczi must also pay a $100 victim surcharge.

Draskoczi rose from his seat at the counsel table and said he wanted to apologize to the victim.

"She's a friend of mine," he said. "I know I made a poor decision."

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