By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on January 18, 2022.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com
Tyrone Joseph Good Rider gave the term ‘Bible bashing’ whole new meaning when he was approached by a security officer at a downtown mall in 2020.
Good Rider, who was prohibited from attending the Melcor Centre, was at the site July 30 when he encountered a security officer near the entrance. The officer, who had dealt with Good Rider a number of times previously, asked Good Rider to leave, but Good Rider argued with the officer then threw a Bible at him, hitting him in the chest. The verbal confrontation continued until Good Rider finally left, and the officer contacted police, who found the accused nearby a short time later.
Good Rider, 57, was charged with assault with a weapon, but during a hearing last week in Lethbridge provincial court, the charge was amended to common assault, to which Good Rider pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one week in jail.
Good Rider also pleaded guilty to unrelated charges of breaching release orders.
On Nov. 20, 2020 Good Rider was in the alley behind a downtown business where homeless individuals regularly mingle and cause the owner distress. Good Rider was caught on video surveillance with a knife – contrary to a court order that he not possess any weapons – which he used to damage a no-trespassing sign.
Just over a month later he was on release conditions relating to the weapons offence in November, which prohibited him from being within 50 metres of the Spirit Leaf Cannabis Dispensary. However, on Dec. 30, 2020 Good Rider was at the downtown business and refused to leave. Instead he was aggressive with staff and made punching motions. He left before police arrived but was found a short distance away.
Good Rider was sentenced to two days in jail for possessing the knife and given a suspended sentence and placed on probation for one year for going to the business, contrary to his release conditions.
Good Rider was back in court again Monday where he pleaded guilty to one count of assault against his sister last year, and one count of failing to register under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act stemming from a conviction in 2015.
Court was told Good Rider and his sister were downtown on Feb. 16, 2021 where Good Rider was complaining about her boyfriend, whom he didn’t like, and asking why she was in a relationship with him. When she told her brother it was none of his business, he attacked her.
“He grabbed her by the hair, began to kind of throw her around and shook her,” Crown Prosecutor Bruce Ainscough said.
She managed to escape and run to the transit terminal where she got help from security officers, who called police.
Lethbridge lawyer Claudia Connolly said the siblings, who both live on the streets, have since “resolved their issues and made up.”
Good Rider was sentenced to one week in jail for the assault and five days for not registering under SOIRA. However, Good Rider was given full credit for time already spent in custody, effectively completing all his sentences, including the sentences he received last week.
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