By EverythingGP staff

Court

Court update: Sentencing in manslaughter and stolen property cases, charges withdrawn or stayed in three others involving drugs

May 11, 2023 | 6:01 AM

Alberta Justice says the death of a High Prairie man in October of 2019 has led to a sentence of just over three years for the accused.

Darcy Lane Joseph Weesemat was given an 1,182 day sentence on a charge of manslaughter on May 8 in Peace River court. Possession of a weapon dangerous to the public and possession of a prohibited firearm counts were withdrawn.

He was charged following the death of 35-year-old Christopher Lyle Cunningham on October 20, 2019 at the Atikameg First Nation.

RCMP said at the time they got a report at 7:00 a.m. that day of a deceased male.

They found Cunningham deceased on a road.

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One accused sentenced in stolen property case

Alberta Justice says one of two people charged in a 2021 stolen property arrest has been sentenced to 120 days in July.

Thomas Emard pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of stolen property.

He and Amanda Gies, both from DeBolt, were arrested after a search of a property near DeBolt on December 11, 2021.

RCMP said at the time the search turned up two pickups, a trailer full of tools, welding units, copper wires, and numerous other stolen items, along with 20 grams of methamphetamine.

Gies is due to stand trial August 9, 2023.

Charges withdrawn in firearm, break and enter case

Alberta Justice says charges against two people charged in a firearms and break and enter investigation from 2022 have been withdrawn.

Julia King and Delmer Horseman were arrested on October 3, 2022 after Grande Prairie RCMP said police had recovered stolen property and seized some weapons.

Mounties said at the time they spotted a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot around 3:0 a.m. that day and the vehicle was seized.

Mounties found firearms that had been reported stolen in Beaverlodge, a safe containing documents, other stolen items, and four grams of methamphetamine.

King had been facing eight charges, Horseman had been facing ten. Those included several weapons charges, possession of stolen property, and drug possession charges.

Charges withdrawn in drug case

Alberta Justice says charges have been withdrawn against two people charged with selling drugs.

Leonard John Huyghebaert and Carole Gaudet were each facing two charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking and one of possession of stolen property under $5,000. Gaudet also had a failure to comply charge.

They were charged after a December 16, 2020 search of a home in downtown Grande Prairie that turned up more than 143 grams of cocaine, 85 grams of crystal meth, fentanyl, LSD, prescription drugs, weapons, cash, and stolen items that included an ATM machine and a tv projector from the QE II Hospital.

The investigation started in November 2020.

Stay of proceedings in drug case

Alberta Justice says there is a stay of proceedings in place for a drug case in Grande Prairie court.

Arbaaz Zafar Karachiwalla and Bryan Randal Krupka were scheduled to stand trial March 16 and 17, 2023.

They are two of three people charged after a two month long investigation that ended with the search of a home in Grande Prairie on June 12, 2020.

RCMP seized $14,000 cash, 79 individual-size packages of cocaine, mushrooms, and equipment used to sort drugs for trafficking.

The case against the third man, Amir Jaber, was earlier deemed accused discharged, which means there is a finding of guilt, but no conviction is registered.