Court Briefs
Prisoner demands shoes for court
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A 29-year-old man in custody and before the courts on theft-related charges had a lot to say to a judge earlier this month after he was not allowed to wear shoes in territorial court.
Lloyd Thrasher, 29, who had just released from jail, is back behind bars after being charged with breach of probation and resisting arrest on April 12.
He was guarded by three RCMP officers as he stood and spoke to the judge from the prisoner's box the following day.
"I'd like to address the fact that I am not allowed to wears shoes in court," Thrasher told judge Garth Malakoe. "It makes me feel like less of a human being. I don't have the same standing as everyone else in this courtroom. No other police have ever taken away my shoes. RCMP in the NWT are the only police force in Canada that takes away prisoners' shoes for court."
Malakoe acknowledged Thrasher's complaint but told him to take it up with his lawyer.
Thrasher's comments follow a Yellowknifer story published March 31 outlining what appears to be a common practice of removing clothing items such as shoes and bras before allowing prisoners to enter court.
Thrasher is expected to make his next court appearance May 5 by video from the North Slave Correctional Centre. He will be allowed to wear footwear during that appearance, according to Sue Glowach, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice.
Man pleads guilty to illegally possessing gun
A man has pleaded guilty to unauthorized possession of a firearm after RCMP seized a loaded handgun from a room at the Northern Lites Motel back on Jan 26.
Anatoly Eichman made the guilty plea before judge Bernadette Schmaltz on April 14. Court heard from Crown prosecutor Brendon Green that police executed a search warrant in January and recovered a .40 caliber semi automatic pistol loaded with five bullets - but none in the chamber.
A charge of careless storage of a firearm was withdrawn. A woman who was arrested along with Eichman and charged with the same offences had her charges withdrawn. Green told the court Eichman knew the gun was in the motel room because he had been taking it apart and putting it back together there. Eichman is to be sentenced on May 29 after a pre-sentence report is completed.
Man charged in Harley's brawl to learn fate next month
A paramedic from Duncan, B.C. is to learn on May 25 whether he is guilty or
innocent of assaulting two female bar
staff last year at Harley's Hard Rock Saloon.
Robert Sutton, 57, was charged with two counts of assault on a waitress and a bartender after a brawl that started inside the bar and spilled out onto the street on June 10, 2016.
Court heard Sutton was in the city for the annual mine rescue competition. His two-day trial wrapped up earlier this before judge Christine Gagnon. She is scheduled to give her decision in court on May 25.
Identical twins dress the same for court
Court observers thought they were seeing double April 25 when two identical twins, charged with assault and aggravated assault, appeared in court both dressed in black-hooded sweatshirts and jeans. The two 24-year-old men were charged on Oct. 22 of last year. The alleged victims are a man and a woman. In an e-mail, RCMP stated that they are unable to release the circumstances that led to the charges. Both men are back in court next Tuesday.
