Man physically removed from courtroom
Lloyd Thrasher curses at sheriff following conviction
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Friday, June 23, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A man had to be physically removed from a courtroom Friday by two RCMP officers, moments after he was convicted of threatening to kill a police officer and being unlawfully inside a residence.
Lloyd Thrasher was physically removed from a territorial courtroom Friday after his conviction for threatening to kill a police officer and being unlawfully inside a residence. Before his removal, the 29-year-old loudly complained an officer and witness lied during testimony, demanded an appeal to his conviction and swore at the courtroom sheriff. - NNSL file photo |
Lloyd Thrasher, dressed in a T-shirt, sweatpants and sock feet, was strong-armed by two Mounties back to courthouse holding cells after loudly complaining a police officer and a witness had lied during their testimony the day before during his trial.
"Don't touch me. Don't hurt me," the 29-year-old yelled as he was led from the courtroom.
Judge Bernadette Schmaltz had cautioned Thrasher earlier in the proceedings that he was not allowed to yell at her about wanting an appeal and threatened to have him removed from the courtroom if he did. She was not in the courtroom when Thrasher was removed by the officers.
Two Mounties and two courthouse sheriffs were watching him closely after he went on a rant following the guilty verdicts.
Thrasher loudly told defence lawyer Les Moore he wanted to appeal the conviction for being in the residence.
Court security let him go on for several minutes but eventually a sheriff politely told him his case was over for the day. Thrasher then swore at the sheriff before being led away.
Thrasher's conviction followed a trial the day before in territorial court.
He was found guilty of telling a Mountie he was going to cut his head off while being held in RCMP cells on Dec. 21.
"He also told the officer he knew where he lived and that he was going to rape and kill his dog," said Schmaltz in handing down her decision. "This had a troubling effect on the officer."
Schmaltz convicted Thrasher of being unlawfully in a residence after an RCMP forensic identification officer testified that boot tracks in the snow near the home could have been made by the boots he was wearing that night.
Court heard an RCMP officer called to the scene saw Thrasher near the back door of the residence.
The officer testified he then found Thrasher hiding in the next door neighbour's garage.
Schmaltz rejected Thrasher's testimony that he was just simply trying to find a place to sleep, noting that he lived nearby.
The judge said the evidence was all circumstantial but she was satisfied that Thrasher had opened two doors to the residence and was at least partly inside without permission. She also said he did not have permission to be in the garage where he was arrested.
Thrasher is to be back in court on July 4 at which time a decision on whether a pre-sentence report will be made.
If one is not requested, Schmaltz is expected to sentence Thrasher on July 7.
Crown prosecutor Trevor Johnson told the judge the convictions call for a jail sentence of up to, and possibly more than, one year.
