Modest Dadzene was sentenced Tuesday morning at Prince Albert Provincial Court. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court proceedings

Knife incident at Prince Albert gas station results in 90-day jail sentence

Sep 27, 2022 | 5:00 PM

Editor’s note: This story was update on Wednesday at 11:52a.m. to correct the name of the sitting judge.

A man who has been arrested in Prince Albert over 400 times, is now serving a new 90-day provincial jail sentence for an incident described in court as both alarming and as a random attack on a stranger.

Modest Bartholemew Dadzene, 62, appeared by phone for his court appearance Tuesday morning at Prince Albert Provincial Court and could be overheard wheezing and coughing throughout.

His latest charges are in relation to an incident that happened Aug. 9, at the Co-Op gas bar on 15 Street E. Reading from the agreed statement of facts, Crown prosecutor Gail Douglas explained how shortly after 2 p.m., Dadzene was outside the store and approached one of the employees who was pumping gas.

“He apparently thought she was staring at him and got upset,” Douglas said. “He pulled out a small knife and said ‘I’ll kill you.'”

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The man’s tone quickly changed and Douglas said he then told the employee he wasn’t trying to bother her and walked away on foot. He was arrested soon after by police at Value Village.

Douglas revealed since 1996, Dadzene has been arrested 444 times in Prince Albert, and 80 times this year.

Defence lawyer Deborah Hopkins explained Dadzene is from Black Lake and has no recollection of the incident, claiming he blacked out.

“When I reviewed the disclosure with him, he accepts the facts that were outlined,” she said.

Following his release from custody, Dadzene plans to return to Black Lake where he has family support. When given the opportunity to speak, Dadzene said he had nothing to say.

Tuesday’s sentence represents a joint submission from the Crown and defence, and although a judge has the authority to overrule a proposed sentence, Chief Judge S. Metivier explained the Supreme Court has directed the court not to depart from a joint submission. The direction is unless the proposed sentence would bring the administration of justice into disrepute or otherwise be contrary to the public’s interest.

With credit for time spent in pre-sentence custody, Dadzene has roughly 63 days left to serve. Afterwards he will be on probation for a period of 12 months and is restricted from possessing any firearms or explosives for five years.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell