By Charlene Tebbutt

Man who assaulted seniors in shovel attack sentenced

Aug 22, 2018 | 2:00 PM

A man who assaulted a group of seniors preparing for a gospel music show at a local community hall earlier this year will be allowed to serve his sentence in the community.

Jason LePage was handed a nine-month community sentence in Prince Albert Provincial Court late Tuesday afternoon, followed by nine months of probation. LePage, 41, pleaded guilty in court Tuesday to one count of assault and one count of assault with a weapon in relation to an incident outside Parkland Hall March 25. The sentence – which was based on a joint submission from both Crown and defence in the case – means LePage will be able to serve his time at home under strict conditions.

The assaults happened just after 6 p.m. on March 25. A local couple, Tim and Carol Dyck were driving to Parkland Hall on the city’s west side, where Tim, 52, was set to perform as part of a gospel music event. Court heard LePage had been following the Dycks, driving aggressively and yelling and honking at the couple, and then followed them into the parking lot at the hall.

LePage then got out and punched Dyck in the face, breaking his glasses. Carol Dyck, 72, was also injured in the melee, as was a third senior who came over to help. Wilf Savisky, a retired sergeant with the Prince Albert Police Service was shoveling snow outside the hall that day when the altercation happened. The 75-year-old senior rushed over to help, but LePage then went to retrieve a metal snow shovel from his vehicle. Savisky received minor injuries to his hand when he was hit with the shovel. Crown prosecutor Keith Amyotte said LePage suffers from paranoia.

LePage’s defence lawyer, Pamela Cuelenaere, said her client lives with a major depressive disorder and uses a therapy dog. She said LePage took issue with Dyck’s driving the day of the incident and admits his actions were inappropriate and that “he overreacted.” Cuelenaere said LePage told her that March is a difficult time of year for him, due to the death of a beloved younger cousin in 2017 and struggles with housing issues and turning 40.

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Cuelenaere said LePage has been working online to help manage his anger, and has attended various forms of counselling. She said he has been doing well abiding by court conditions while awaiting the outcome of his case.

“So, it was a challenging time for him in dealing with that loss,” she told the court.

Tim and Carol Dyck attended court Tuesday with support from several friends. Outside court, Carol Dyck said she hopes LePage gets the help he needs.

“I’m not really happy with it, but it’s finished,” she told paNOW.

The judge in the case told LePage Tuesday that the community sentence order is like a jail sentence, and comes with strict conditions, including that LePage take counselling and anger management programming, not consume drugs or alcohol or possess any weapons. He is also prohibited from going to Parkland Hall and must write a letter of apology to the victims in the case within the next month. 

Judge Martin Irwin said LePage must avoid all contact with the victims because “you terrify them.”

“They don’t want to see you and they don’t want you to see them,” he said.

Pastor Rick Martin, from the New Hope Community Church in Prince Albert attended the court hearing with the Dycks on Tuesday and said the incident didn’t stop gospel music events from continuing in the community.

“I want to commend Tim and Carol, it wasn’t very long and they were right back into singing and performing and travelling around and doing these types of things,” he added.

Charlene.tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt