Conditional sentence given to man who assaulted police officer

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on September 30, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A Vulcan area man who struck a police officer in the head with a glass jar will serve a custodial sentence, but he won’t have to go to jail.

Darren Williams, 54, was handed a 12-month conditional sentence Friday in Lethbridge court of justice, the first six months of which he will be able to serve under 24-hour house arrest. He will be subject to a curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. every day during the second half of his sentence.

Williams was charged last December with resisting a peace officer, assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, and assault of a peace officer causing bodily harm. However, during his sentencing hearing Friday, he pleaded not guilty to the charge of assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, and was instead permitted to plead guilty to the lesser and included offence of assaulting a peace officer. The remaining two charges were withdrawn.

Court was told that on the afternoon of Dec. 9, RCMP officers went to Williams’ property in the County of Vulcan to execute an arrest warrant. When Williams, who was sitting on his porch, saw the officers arrive, he began yelling at them, and he became even more agitated when they said he was under arrest.

As an officer approached him, Williams ran into the house, then grabbed a jar as the officer walked up to the door to advise him he was still under arrest.

“At that point Mr. Williams went further inside the house,” the Crown explained. “He grabbed a glass Mason jar and struck (the constable) in the head with that Mason jar.”

Calgary lawyer Michael Oykhman pointed out his client suffers from mental health issues, but he’s been a “good upstanding, productive member of the community for many, many years.”

As part of his conditional sentence, Williams must behave himself and not leave the province unless authorized by his supervisor. He must also reside at a specific address in the County of Vulcan and be assessed and receive counseling and treatment as directed by the court or supervisor, which may include psychiatric or psychological counseling. He is prohibited from consuming alcohol or illicit drugs, and he is not to possess any weapons.

“It is a serious matter when there’s an assault on a peace officer who is doing his job, especially when there’s a possibility of an injury like that,” Justice Paul Pharo said.

However, Pharo noted in his acceptance of the joint submission by counsel for a conditional sentence, that Williams does not have a criminal record, has taken responsibility for his actions, pleaded guilty, and has otherwise been a person of good character.

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