By Charlene Tebbutt

Man sentenced for thefts, assaults out of P.A., Melfort

Dec 18, 2018 | 1:17 PM

A local-area man, and a former Prince Albert Raiders hockey player from the early 1990s will spend the next few months in jail for a string of break-ins and property crimes in the Prince Albert and Melfort areas.

Barkley Swenson was sentenced in Prince Albert Provincial court last week to four months in jail on charges possession of stolen property and breach of court conditions. Swenson is to serve the four-month term on top of a 15-month sentence that he received in November in Melfort on charges of assault and uttering threats.

The four-month term was based on a joint recommendation from both the Crown and defence in the case. Swenson is also banned from driving for six months after his release. On the Melfort charges, Swenson was also sentenced to 12 months of probation, a five-year firearms prohibition and was ordered to submit his DNA to the national registry. He was given credit for 195 days on remand while his charges were before the courts.

The Prince Albert charges stem from an incident in the city June 24. Swenson, 44, pleaded guilty to several charges including possession of stolen property, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, obstruction of a police officer and breach of probation.

On that day, court heard police stopped Swenson around 2:30 a.m. after spotting the truck and trailer with two Sea-Doos, a Traeger barbecue and a mini quad head south over the bridge into Prince Albert. Police checked the plates on the vehicle and found the registered owners did not match on the truck and trailer. After initially stopping for police, Swenson soon drove off and a chase ensued through the city, at speeds between 90 and 100 kilometres per hour.

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The vehicle pursuit ended on the west side of the city when Swenson got out and tried to run from police. He was arrested after a struggle. Swenson later complained about a bump on his head and nausea, although he refused medical attention, Crown prosecutor Keith Amyotte told the court. Amyotte said Swenson was punched in the head while handcuffed in the incident.

A search of the vehicle later turned up a bottle of whiskey and scattered beer cans. The truck was reported stolen from the Wakaw area while the Sea-Doos were stolen from a home in Prince Albert. The owner of the mini quad could not be located, Amyotte said, although Swenson told the court it belongs to his children and asked that it be returned. The owner of the barbecue is still unknown.

Swenson’s defence lawyer, Rebecca Crookshanks said her client doesn’t usually get involved in situations involving stolen property, but agreed to move the items because he needed the money. Swenson said he was given $1,000 to do a repossession.

“He chose not to ask the questions even though there were those red flags,” Crookshanks said in court. “He recognizes that he should have handled this situation differently.”

Crookshanks said Swenson is hoping to get back to work and on to a more positive path once he leaves jail. The judge in the case ordered that the kids’ mini quad, and a farrier bag with items for shoeing horses, be returned to Swenson. The other stolen property was ordered returned to the owners as well.

Charges from Saskatoon are still before the courts.

With files from Angie Rolheiser

Charlene.tebbutt@jbpg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt