ATHABASCA — A Calling Lake man, originally charged with attempted murder after terrorizing his victim over the course of a night was sentenced to 15 months in jail.
In Athabasca Provincial Court Dec. 6, Judge Thomas Achtymichuk accepted a guilty plea to the lesser charge of assault with a weapon from Clint Bigstone instead.
Crown prosecutor Sandra Christensen-Moore told court Bigstone, 28, started the alcohol-fuelled night of misery for the victim by banging on the side of their trailer between 1 and 2 a.m. on the night of Nov. 29, 2020. When the door was opened Bigstone was seen with a sledgehammer and the victim tried to calm him down. Bigstone was then brought inside the home, where they both sat on the couch and a physical altercation occurred.
The victim was able to get away, said Christensen-Moore, which led Bigstone to start to throw things and hit the victim with his fists. Once again, they were able to get away and hide outside while Bigstone walked around brandishing a knife.
“The Crown acknowledges this would have been a terrifying experience,” Christensen-Moore said.
Bigstone was bound by previous release conditions and a 24-hour house arrest at the time of the incident and faced 12 charges ranging from attempted murder to assault, mischief damage, possession of a dangerous weapon and failing to comply with release conditions.
Bigstone pleaded guilty in a deal with the Crown on three charges – assault with a weapon, reduced from attempted murder, and two counts of failing to comply for the knife and for being out while on house arrest. He admitted he was extremely intoxicated at the time of the prolonged assault but accepted the victim’s statement of events.
Considering Bigstone’s record, Judge Achtymichuk accepted the recommended sentence from the Crown and imposed a sentence of 12 months incarceration on the lesser charge and 90 days concurrent for failing to comply with release conditions.
Judge Achtymichuk also handed down a lifetime weapons ban and ordered Bigstone to submit his DNA.
Bigstone had been in the Edmonton Remand Centre since his arrest on the night of the incident and was on a 23-hour lock down due to COVID-19 protocols. Taking into consideration the amount of time in custody, his sentence was deemed served and the remaining nine charges were withdrawn by the Crown.
