Local briefs - November 26

Sentencing delayed for sex criminal

A bed shortage and lack of staff at a Calgary forensic unit has delayed sentencing of a man convicted this summer of sexually assaulting a woman.

Crown prosecutor Jason Snider told Justice Kirk Sisson on Wednesday that Dustin Pierre Gladue, 24, of Red Deer couldn’t be assessed by psychiatrists at the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatric Centre in the last two months because of the shortages.

Gladue was convicted on July 2 of sexually assaulting a woman near her house on April 12, 2008, following a trial in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench.

The court ordered a pre-sentence report and then a psychiatric assessment at the suggestion of a probation officer on Sept. 4.

He was convicted of sexual assault with a weapon, breaking into a residence to commit an offence, assault with a weapon and uttering a threat.

Sentencing is now set for Feb. 4.

A native counselling official is also preparing a pre-sentence report, which will be considered during sentencing.

Gladue has been in custody since the incident.

Red Deer man charged in fatal rollover

Criminal charges have been laid against a Red Deer man nearly 18 months after his uncle died in a single-vehicle rollover near Sylvan Lake.

At about 3:30 a.m. on June 4, 2008, Ross Loblaw, 36, of Delburne was found dead at the scene after being ejected from a pickup truck that was eastbound at the intersection of Hwys 11 and 20. The truck ran into the median and rolled several times before coming to a stop, said Sgt. Duncan Babchuk of the Sylvan Lake RCMP.

Police searched the area but did not find anyone else during their initial investigation of the collision, Duncan said on Wednesday.

Police later learned that Matthew Duda, 22, of Red Deer went to the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre later in the day to be treated for injuries suffered in a vehicle collision.

Police now allege that Duda was driving the pickup and fled the scene after it rolled.

Duda has been charged with dangerous driving causing death and failing to remain at the scene of a collision.

A date for his first court appearance has not been set.

Red Deer lawyer appointed to the bench

A Red Deer lawyer is one of three new provincial court judges.

Gordon Ernest Deck, who has practised law with Johnston Ming Manning LLP for 29 years, was appointed on Wednesday to the central region and Red Deer courts.

Deck has worked in the areas of dependent adults, foreclosures, estate litigation and, more recently, corporate and commercial law. He was chair of the Red Deer Catholic School Division for 17 years and served as director of the Red Deer and District Community Foundation and Red Deer Chamber of Commerce.

Other judicial appointments were Mary Anne McCorquodale to Calgary civil court and William Arnold Andreassen to central region and Camrose courts.