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Area man gets three-month jail sentence for savage assault in Busby

James George Wilgus, 45, pleads guilty to assault causing bodily harm
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WESTLOCK – An area man will spend close to three months behind bars following a brutal assault on the streets of Busby in the summer of 2022 when he slammed a man’s face into the side of a pickup truck.

Appearing in Westlock Provincial Court Feb. 1 via CCTV from the Edmonton Remand Centre, James George Wilgus, 45, pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm with Judge Gordon Putnam agreeing to a 120-day jail sentence proposed by Crown prosecutor Andrew Dirgo and defence lawyer Cody Ackland.

“I believe this is a fit and proper sentence. Today’s (sentence) is obviously scaled up to match the assault causing bodily harm charge that you’ve pleaded guilty to, and I also acknowledge that you’ve entered an early guilty plea in order to avoid the requirement for the complainant or any other witnesses to testify, which is appreciated,” said Judge Putnam.

Wilgus, who received 24 days of “enhanced credit” on the 16 days he’s already served towards the three-month sentence, will also be required to submit a sample of his DNA to authorities, while Judge Putnam waived the victim-fine surcharge.

“I just want to apologize for my actions and I’m grateful to be here today. That’s all I have to say,” said Wilgus, clad in an orange jumpsuit during his CCTV appearance.

While Dirgo noted Wilgus has an “extremely extensive” criminal record “going back unbroken” to the 1990s, there was only one conviction for assault. Ackland said his client, whose mother is from the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, had a troubled childhood “rife with domestic abuse and abuse on him also” and ran away from home at the age 11.

“The offence itself is fairly serious, but on the scale of assault causing, this is on the fairly low end in terms of the bodily harmed caused. This is only his second conviction for violence and the Crown is satisfied that 120 days is a fit and appropriate sentence,” said Dirgo.

Ackland also noted that Wilgus, a former welder, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2013 that threw his life into chaos and “set off a rash of property crimes” but has since learned he may be suffering from MS.

“And he is at least receiving some care in that regard while he is incarcerated,” said Ackland. “Mr. Wilgus has typically not been a violent individual and most of his record relates to property crime.”

Court heard that on June 24, 2022, Westlock RCMP got a call from a Busby woman that her husband had been attacked by Wilgus in front of their home.

Around 11:30 p.m., the victim heard a revving engine outside his home and saw a dark-coloured pickup truck head down the road and park in front of the Busby Countryside Saloon & Hotel. Dirgo said the truck then came back and stopped in front of the victim’s house when Wilgus got out.

“The accused knew the victim already and started yelling at him and then punched him and then smashed his face against the side of the truck. The victim bounced off the truck and fell into the ditch in front of the house,” said Dirgo. “The victim had cuts and lacerations on his face and was bleeding from those injuries when (RCMP) members arrived and he was treated by EMS.”

George Blais, TownandCountryToday.com

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