Photo by Curtis Galbraith

By EverythingGP staff

Court Update

Court update: Jail sentence in stolen U-Haul van incident, trial dates set in two other cases

Jul 6, 2021 | 5:30 AM

Alberta Justice says a man charged after a dangerous driving incident involving a stolen U-Haul van has been given a 14-month jail sentence.

Calvin Campbell was given four months credit for time already spent in custody on June 30 in Grande Prairie court.

He pleaded guilty to Criminal Code of Canada charges of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, forcible entry, theft of a motor vehicle and obstructing a peace officer, plus a breach of protection order count under the Protection Against Family Violence Act.

Grande Prairie RCMP said that on the morning of April 16, 2021, they started getting calls about a U-Haul van being driven dangerously through the city. The driver was speeding, running red lights, and came close to striking some pedestrians.

The van was later located in the Carriage Lane Estates area and an arrest was made a short time after that.

Trial date set in laser incident

Alberta Justice says a trial date has been set for a Grande Prairie man charged after a laser was pointed at an aircraft.

The trial for Connor Layher is scheduled for January 20, 2022. He pleaded not guilty and elected trial by provincial court judge on June 21 in Grande Prairie court.

Grande Prairie RCMP said just before 3 a.m. on May 12 of this year, a laser was pointed at a commercial plane arriving at the Grande Prairie Airport, disrupting the pilots trying to land the aircraft.

A complaint of the driver of a vehicle being distracted by a laser came in a short time later.

An RCMP member on patrol later had a laser pointed at his body and face

An arrest was later made at a Grande Prairie home.

Trial date set after incident at school leads to weapons seizure

Alberta Justice says a trial date has been set for what Grande Prairie RCMP described at the time as a disturbance at a local school.

The trial for Robert Howarth is set for January 19, 2022 in Grande Prairie court.

He is facing 11 weapons-related charges after an incident at a school located near 108 Avenue and 104 Street on June 8 this year.

Mounties said at the time they were called to a disturbance just after 2:30 p.m. that day and located a man near a vehicle. A search of that vehicle turned up a loaded handgun, machete, an axe, and two loaded handgun magazines.

A search done later of a County of Grande Prairie home located 28 firearms, both long guns and handguns, magazines, and 10,000 rounds of ammunition.