Man jailed on weapons, property charges

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on December 5, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

Threatening a person with a machete then getting caught fleeing in a stolen pickup truck has netted a southern Alberta man a short jail sentence.

William Fick pleaded guilty Monday in Lethbridge court of justice to charges of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and possession of stolen property over $5,000. He was sentenced to 53 days in jail, but given credit for 22 days he had already spent in custody, leaving him with 31 days to serve.

Court was told a 2012 Silverado truck was stolen from Coalhurst on Nov. 6 after the owner started it up then quickly ran into his residence to grab an item. Two weeks later police were in Coaldale and saw the truck at a residence on 21 Avenue, where several people were working on it and appeared to be boosting a dead battery.

While police watched the activity, Fick got into an argument with another man and pulled out a machete and began “wildly gesturing with it.”

Eventually everyone calmed down and the vehicle drove away with a woman driving while Fick and another man were passengers. Police attempted to stop the vehicle as it drove along backroads, but the driver refused to stop.

Police successfully deployed a spike belt, but the stolen vehicle continued to flee until an officer spun it with a pit maneuver.

Defence said the truck had been driven by someone else to the property in Coaldale where Fick worked on it then afterward asked for a ride. Although he had no intention of being involved in a police chase, he was willfully blind and should have known the truck was stolen, his lawyer said.

Another man, Justice Noel One Owl, was also charged with possession of stolen property in relation to the incident. His matter was adjourned to Dec. 15.

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