ATHABASCA – A 38-year-old Lac La Biche man who tried to evade police by hiding in a tree, received a two-day jail sentence and a stern lecture from the presiding Justice.
In Athabasca Court of Justice July 24, Timothy Adam Tyson, 38, pleaded guilty to obstructing a peace officer, as well as failing to comply with release conditions as part of a joint submission between Crown prosecutor Brett Grierson and defence lawyer Karl Buchanan.
Grierson withdrew five additional counts of failing to comply with a release order, two counts of possession of property under $5,000, possession of property over $5,000, making/possessing identity documents under a different name, driving a motor vehicle without insurance, flight from a peace officer, and dangerous operation.
Justice Jeffrey Morrison accepted the joint-sentence submission, noting while it was light, it was in-line given Tyson’s lack of a prior criminal record.
“A one-day jail sentence isn’t much, we all know that,” said Justice Morrison. “You’ve already ended up serving three or four weeks on this, so you understand how unpleasant the consequences for this can be. You also now have a criminal record, the consequences of which can potentially be quite ugly for you. You’ve crossed the line here, and there will be some serious consequences as a result.”
Tyson, who appeared in person, chose not to speak when given the opportunity, although he did verbally agree with Justice Morrison’s admonishment. While he initially had two co-accused alongside him, George Bert Harrison, 33, and Twyla Gayle Steinhauer, 35, charges were withdrawn against them June 26.
The crime
Grierson told court that on April 3, 2023, a Westlock RCMP officer was notified that a stolen vehicle was northbound on Highway 2 near Athabasca. The constable alerted the Athabasca RCMP, before helping lead them in pursuit.
Another RCMP constable had attempted to stop the vehicle, which fled down Highway 663 at a “high rate of speed,” when the constable turned on his sirens. After a pursuit, Grierson said that the vehicle entered a field, at which point there were “multiple marked police cars on the side of the road, watching the truck through a field.” Police watched the truck get stuck at which point multiple people left it and fled into the woods.
Three police officers followed and located Tyson in a tree. He was told he was under arrest, although he refused to come down from the tree for around 15 minutes.
Grierson said that at the time, Tyson was under a release condition to not be present in a vehicle without the owner present, and the owner of the truck they had fled in was not at the scene.
