ATHABASCA – A 28-year-old man from Calling Lake spent 86 days at the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre (FSCC) after an argument over a truck dissolved into violence.
In Athabasca Court of Justice Nov. 27, Charlie George Cardinal, 28, pleaded guilty to single counts of assault, threats to cause death or bodily harm, and failure to comply with a release condition as part of a joint submission between Crown prosecutor Taylor Noble and defence counsel Robert Gladu.
As part of the submission, additional charges of assault with a weapon, threats to cause death or bodily harm, failure to attend court, and obstructing a peace officer were withdrawn.
Justice Joanne Heudes accepted the joint submission, which saw Cardinal receive 100 days in jail for the assault, alongside two concurrent 30-day sentences for the other charges, as well as a 12-month probation. Cardinal’s pre-sentence custody put him in a time-served situation, leaving him with 129 days served when enhanced at a 1.5 to 1 rate.
“Seeing a prior record, this is a kind of a step up from what you’ve done before, you have a previous assault charge with 12 months of probation,” said Justice Heudes.
Gladu told court it was a true joint submission, with concessions being made by both parties. A reporting clause in Cardinal’s probation order was dropped by Noble after Gladu said it went against the purpose of the probation, and was likely to land Cardinal, who is currently unhoused, back behind bars.
Cardinal, who appeared from the FSCC via CCTV, declined to speak and waived his right to a formal Gladue Report.
The facts
Noble told court on June 5, 2023, Athabasca RCMP responded to a call in Calling Lake about an argument over the use of the truck. Upon their arrival, a woman reported Cardinal had assaulted her and another man.
When the officers approached the residence, Cardinal ran away into the bushes — the officers later learned Cardinal had threatened the other two individuals before striking the man in the back of the neck, causing him to see black.
The two individuals said Cardinal had threatened to shoot at the police if they arrived.
Noble also told court Cardinal was released on a release order with a no-go clause on June 11. On Sept. 2, 2023, Athabasca RCMP officers attended the residence named in the order looking for another individual with warrants.
Upon their arrival the officers found Cardinal, who had his own outstanding warrants, and was breaching his release order.
