Wrong turn

A Hinton man was fined $900 dollars at Jasper Provincial Court last Thursday (March 23) for impaired driving. Donald Lonny Guest was stopped by police after they saw him turn the wrong way down Patricia Street at the intersection near the Post Office. Guest made a rapid u-turn but the RCMP conducted a breathalyzer test that revealed a blood alcohol level two times the legal limit. Guest had only been driving because his two companions were more inebriated that he was, and he claimed that he made the wrong turn only because of his unfamiliarity with Jasper, not due to a high level of intoxication.

In addition to the fine, Guest was issued a driving prohibition for 12 months, although he will be eligble for the interlock start program after three months.

Don’t be a menace

A Jasper man was fined after pleading guilty to committing mischief during a drunken night in January. David Nicholas McKinnon had initially been charged with obstructing a police officer based on his conduct, but pled to the alternative charge, brought about because he noisily interfered with his neighbours’ peace and serenity.

At nearly three in the morning on January 9, Jasper RCMP arrived at a property on Connaught Drive where a loud party was happening. Constable Ed Burstrom, finding the door to the home open, made an attempt to attract the attention of the owner. An inebriated McKinnon responded angrily to the police presence, repeatedly shouting “you’re not coming in my house, call my lawyer.” He then shut the door on Cst. Burstrom’s knee before being apprehended. Both during the short trip to the police station and while he was in custody, McKinnon shouted, resisted police and “acted like jerk”, in the words of Provincial Crown Prosecutor Bob Marr.

An extensive prior record was acknowledged by McKinnon and duty counsel Donovan Malloy, who told the court that the guilty party saw the error of his ways.

“He acknowledges that his behaviour was inappropriate to say the least,” he said.

Judge Norheim levied a $500 fine and was dictating the terms of a year-long probation when McKinnon reacted angrily to being told he would have to abstain completely from alcohol. 

“I’ve been in and out of jail and all the time people have said that I don’t have a problem with drinking,” he said. “I would have taken this to trial if I would have known about this.” 

Norheim informed McKinnon that including the abstinence clause was a standard approach to an incident where alcohol played a role.

“I will be appealing this,” McKinnon said, defiantly.

Sucker punched in the wallet

A man who “cold cocked” someone from behind last fall will have to pay a $500 fine. Corey Lawson was engaged in an altercation outside Pete’s Club in September 2005. When police arrived at the scene they observed Lawson running away, shirtless. One witness informed the RCMP that after an argument, the complainant turned his back from Lawson and was walking away when Lawson punched the other man in the side of the head. That individual was taken to hospital, where he remained overnight for observation.

Lawson, a 21-year-old currently working at a drilling site south of Calgary, was intoxicated at the time of the incident and attributed his behaviour to his drunken state.