WESTLOCK – A former Saskatchewan man with a long history of driving while disqualified who fled from local RCMP “at a high rate of speed” after being found sleeping in a car with no licence plate, will remain behind bars until 2024 and is barred from driving until the year after that.
Appearing in Westlock Court of Justice July 5 shackled in the prisoner’s box, Kiefer Hill, 32, pleaded guilty to flight from a peace officer and operating a motor vehicle while prohibited and received a 210-day jail sentence and two-year driving ban from Justice Gerry Annetts — additional counts of resisting a peace officer, plus Traffic Safety Act charges of failing to hold a valid licence, failing to produce registration and a financial responsibility card on demand, were withdrawn by Crown prosecutor Anthony Estephan.
Justice Annetts sided with Estephan who had asked for the 210-day sentence and driving ban, noting Hill’s four-page criminal record includes three past convictions for driving while disqualified, four for fleeing from police and one for failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
“The criminal record of the accused is lengthy and related. It seems to have not quite sunk in that this type of behaviour is not to be continued Mr. Hill,” said Justice Annetts, who did waive the victim-fine surcharge.
“I’m concerned that that message has yet to get through to you. The primary sentencing objectives in this case have to be denunciation and deterrence. Quite frankly, I believe the sentence proposed by the Crown is extremely fair given the circumstances.”
Defence lawyer Richard Forbes, who said Hill grew up in Ontario before moving to Saskatchewan as teenager and worked in the potash mines there for 12 years, had asked for a 150-day sentence. Also facing charges in Calgary, Forbes said Hill is currently serving his time at the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre and “has been battling an opioid addict and some mental-health issues” over the last number of years.
The crime
Estephan told court that on Feb. 9, 2023, Westlock RCMP received a report that a dark-coloured vehicle with no licence plate was parked on Range Road 263.
On scene, police found a man and woman sleeping in the vehicle and asked Hill for his driver’s licence, vehicle documents and the licence plate.
Estephan said Hill eventually provided a valid Class 8 Alberta ID card, but did not have a driver’s licence, while the other documents, including a Saskatchewan licence plate, were expired — police learned during their checks that Hill had previously been banned from driving.
Further investigation noted that Hill has been wanted in connection to a case involving uttering threats and they then tried to arrest him. At that point Hill fled the scene “at a high rate of speed” and police did not give chase, as Estephan noted they still had his ID card and licence plate.
