Prince Albert Provincial Court. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Society Issues

Man accused of traumatizing P.A. landlord, receives jail time

May 12, 2020 | 2:00 PM

As a result of COVID-19 protocols, the courts are doing their best to limit the number of people in custody, and last Friday a Saskatoon judge was questioning the reason why a seven month jail sentence was being recommended for a man with a history of mental health issues.

Rodney Ballantyne, 40, entered guilty pleas to a number of the charges including unlawfully being in a dwelling, and three court related breaches related to failing to appear, and possession of alcohol when prohibited from doing so.

On Nov. 2, 2019, Ballantyne was found at a property he was not allowed to be at, and when confronted by the landlord sped off on a bicycle, yelling obscenities and threats. To gain entry to the building, the man smashed the handle of the outside door.

According to a victim impact statement, Ballantyne had a history of causing trouble for the landlord, and last February received an eight month jail sentence for assaulting a building manager at one of the landlord’s other properties. The incident happened last September.

The crown and defence lawyers submitted a seven month sentence was appropriate, but prior to agreeing to it, Judge D.C. Scott took extensive time reviewing Ballantyne’s personal history and criminal record. She noted Ballantyne’s record spanned 20 years and included over 60 separate convictions, many related to court breaches.

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“I know you’ve had a tough go and you haven’t done yourself any favors,” Scott told Ballantyne. “That doesn’t mean you can’t turn things around.”

Durning his submissions, defence lawyer Chris Gratton noted Ballantyne possessed no ill feelings toward the landlord, and simply had no where else to go. Gratton also explained there were a number of Gladue factors at play in the case including Ballantyne’s abuse as a child while in foster care, and addictions issues.

While acknowledging the landlord would no doubt have been stressed by Ballantyne’s actions, Scott said she considered the seven month sentence to be on the “high end of the range” of sentencing and urged counsel in the future to take more time exploring Gladue factors before arriving at a decision for a sentence.

At the conclusion of his jail sentence, Ballantyne will be on probation for 12 months and must pay for the costs of the door ($260).

In her closing remarks, Scott encouraged to Ballantyne to stay away from alcohol and focus on his goals.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: nigelmaxwell