A Westlock man was sentenced to 18 months of probation after Morinville RCMP found two loaded guns in his car during a routine traffic stop.
Dusty Jordan Sand, 28, pleaded guilty in Morinville last Thursday to three weapons offences; possession of a weapon obtained by an offence, unauthorized possession in a motor vehicle and carrying a concealed weapon.
Sand was pulled over shortly after 4 a.m. on Feb. 7 just outside Morinville on Highway 2. He was driving with two passengers in his pickup truck when the RCMP noticed a burned out tail light.
When RCMP officers approached the vehicle they noticed a handgun inside the driver’s door and ordered everyone to leave the vehicle.
Officers then found a shotgun laying in the back seat. Both weapons were loaded.
The handgun had been stolen from a sports equipment store in Dawson Creek, B.C., though the shotgun was Sand’s own.
Under probation terms laid out by Judge Jeanne Burch, Sand will have to report regularly to a probation officer and stay out of trouble.
He was also given a two-year weapons ban, which will prohibit from him owning any weapons.
Sand had already surrendered almost 20 weapons that he owns as part of his bail conditions; they were not in the vehicle when he was pulled over. He will be able to transfer ownership of those weapons to a friend during his weapons prohibition.
A 53-year-old man who pushed his wife into a dresser during an argument was handed a year of probation last week.
Dennis Barthel pleaded guilty to a single count of assault last week and was given the probationary term.
Barthel and his wife were arguing about several issues on April 2, when she stormed away from him.
He followed and the argument continued and he pushed her violently into a dresser before their son intervened.
Judge Jeanne Burch required Barthel to take any counselling while he is on probation and emphasized that this was part of a suspended sentence that could be brought back to court if he breaches any of those conditions.
While leaving court, Barthel’s wife who submitted a victim’s impact statement also handed him divorce papers.
