After drunkenly stealing a Yellowknife taxi and winding up stuck in the snow 20 ft. off the Mackenzie Highway, Steven Paul Lafferty was sentenced Wednesday on charges of dangerous driving, driving while intoxicated and theft of a motor vehicle.
On Dec. 14, 2019, Lafferty was not able to pay his cab fare in downtown Yellowknife. When another set of passengers got into the back seat of the car at about 1:50 a.m. outside the Gold Range bar, they agreed to take Lafferty, sitting next to the driver in the passenger seat, to Boston Pizza.
Lafferty, 31, refused to exit the vehicle when they arrived. The cab-driver responded by trying to remove him by force.
The court heard that there was some pushing between the two men and that the backseat passengers got out of the car and called the as well as a second cab.
Lafferty then took the taxiSA国际影视传媒檚 SA国际影视传媒渢opperSA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒� the taxi light on the top of the vehicle SA国际影视传媒� and put it in the snow. He got into the driverSA国际影视传媒檚 seat and stepped on the gas as the taxi driver held on to the open car door.
Though the driver eventually let go, Crown Prosecutor Andreas Kuntz told the court he was first dragged along the pavement.
Lafferty was found stuck in the snow about 20 ft. off the road near Fred Henne Territorial Park. When he supplied a breath sample to the , Lafferty was found to have a blood alcohol concentration of 190 mg per 100 ml of blood SA国际影视传媒� more than twice the legal limit.
In delivering her sentence, Judge Christine Gagnon considered the fact that Lafferty has no prior criminal record and that he is the primary care-giver to his six year-old son.
Defence lawyer Kate Oja told the court that in the year since the incident, Lafferty has made SA国际影视传媒渟ignificant progress.SA国际影视传媒�
She said he began counselling by telephone over the spring and summer months SA国际影视传媒渙n his own initiative.SA国际影视传媒� Lafferty hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 been entirely sober since the event last December but has SA国际影视传媒渃ut down on drinking significantlySA国际影视传媒� Oja said.
She told the court that Lafferty has no memory of the incident and SA国际影视传媒渟cared himself quite seriously ,SA国际影视传媒� especially in considering how he may have hindered his ability to raise his child.
On the CrownSA国际影视传媒檚 submission that Lafferty serve house arrest, Oja said SA国际影视传媒渆ven a conditional sentence is not necessary given the work heSA国际影视传媒檚 done to ensure heSA国际影视传媒檚 not back before the courts.SA国际影视传媒�
Judge Christine Gagnon accepted OjaSA国际影视传媒檚 submission of one year probation on top of the $2,000 fine. Lafferty will be barred from operating any kind of motor vehicle for the next year.
She said the events were a result of SA国际影视传媒渂ad choices and excessive drinkingSA国际影视传媒� but that they seemed SA国际影视传媒渙ut of characterSA国际影视传媒� for Lafferty.
Gagnon found the steps Lafferty has taken in the last year SA国际影视传媒渢o address his conduct and ensure this would not happen againSA国际影视传媒� to be mitigating. She said she also takes his son into consideration.
SA国际影视传媒淚n this jurisdiction I find it important to encourage parents to be a good parent to children.SA国际影视传媒�
