Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 30, 2015, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE B3 winnipegfreepress. com CRIME WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2015 B 3 LiquorMarts. ca MEGA MILES This Long Weekend Get Get AIR MILES � Bonus Miles WITH THESE GREAT OFFERS! JULY 30 - AUGUST 3, 2015 OPEN August 3 rd Extended Shopping Hours This Weekend. Visit LiquorMarts. ca/ hours for details * Some exclusions apply � T Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B. V. Used under license by LoyaltyOne, Co. and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation Sleeman Light $ 25.18* 15/ 355 ml # 734826 * Plus container deposit 40 BONUS Miles Pelee Island Late Harvest Riesling VQA ( Canada) $ 14.95 750 ml # 136010 17 BONUS Miles Intense and delicate with citrus and ripe peach overtones. Sweet and floral nose. Crisp and vibrant wine with juicy peach and apricot flavours. 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The friend, Sarai Toruno, and the mother, Melody Planidin, both pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and were given 18- month conditional sentences under joint recommendations from Crown and defence lawyers. The 22- year- old accused they were trying to help, Jordan Connolly, previously pleaded guilty to drug and weapons charges and was sentenced to seven years behind bars. " This was a decision that was made hastily and without much thinking," Toruno's lawyer, Dan Manning, told court Wednesday. Members of the Winnipeg Police Service's street- crimes unit began investigating Connolly last fall on the belief he was operating a drug- dealing network out of his Desharnais Street home. They arrested him in October 2014 after pulling over his Mercedes- Benz on a nearby street. " That appears to have set a chain of events in motion," said Lafreniere. Moments later, police watched as Toruno drove up to Connolly's home, went inside with her key and then came out with a lumpy blanket. It was being held by another friend, Mohammed Arain, who directed Toruno to the home. He is set to be sentenced for his role today. The blanket contained a 12- gauge sawed- off shotgun that had five rounds inside. The serial number had been removed. " To this day she's gobsmacked he would have something like that in his home," Manning said. His client said she only knew they were removing evidence but had no idea it was a loaded firearm. The Crown said it's not clear what they planned on doing with the gun had police not stopped them. Connolly's mom was also observed going into the home and then exiting later that day. She was arrested moments later, and a black safe containing 91 grams of cocaine, more than $ 3,000 and several rounds of ammunition was found in her vehicle. " She knew her son was doing something bad and just wanted to help him," Lafreniere told court. Police charged Connolly's two siblings with being involved in the drugdealing operation, but the Crown stayed those charges earlier this year after both claimed they had no idea what he had been doing in the basement suite where he lived. Toruno got involved with Connolly based on a previous addiction to cocaine that also led to the death of her boyfriend due to an overdose, court was told. She is now attending Red River College, her lawyer said. " She's learned the evils of that drug. She lost someone she loved," said Manning. www. mikeoncrime. com A 60- YEAR- OLD Winnipeg man has walked free on allegations he sexually abused a child - even though the judge who cleared him admits he's " probably" guilty. Queen's Bench Justice Gerald Chartier said his own suspicions aren't enough in law, where the standard is proof beyond a reasonable doubt. He ruled Wednesday there was no choice but to find the man not guilty of charges of sexual assault, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching even though " I find it may have occurred, and probably occurred." The case essentially boiled down to the word of the alleged victim versus the word of the alleged abuser. The alleged victim, now 19, came forward to police in 2010 to report her mother's former live- in boyfriend had repeatedly molested her between 2001 and 2002. She would have been six years old at the time. The alleged abuser took the stand at trial and denied any wrongdoing. He suggested the girl either made up the story or was confused about who was responsible, noting other people were living in the home at the time. In his ruling, Chartier said he rejected the version of events presented by the accused. " His evidence appeared to be tailored," the judge said. " It was at times implausible." Chartier noted the man got caught making several false or exaggerated statements on the stand, including reference to his physical description at the time. The girl described her abuser as having long hair, and the man claimed he had shaved his head bald at the time out of sympathy for his mother, who was dying of cancer. But under cross- examination, the man was presented with evidence from the Crown that showed his head wasn't shaved until after the alleged abuse had ended. However, Chartier said he couldn't convict the man based solely on rejecting his evidence. He had to look at the girl's story to see whether there was sufficient grounds to believe it met the high legal standard. The girl admitted her memory was " fuzzy" and " kind of blurred" based on her young age at the time of the abuse. She told court how she disclosed the sexual assaults to her mother at the time they occurred. But the girl's mother was called to testify and swore her daughter only disclosed for the first time in 2010. The girl also told court she recalls her mother moving out of the house, and ending the relationship with the accused, based on her disclosure. But the mother insisted that wasn't the reason. She admits she was a personal " wreck" at the time, having been recovering from years of alcohol abuse. In fact, it was an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting where she first met the accused. The accused's lawyer suggested it would be " dangerous" to convict based on the conflicting evidence between the girl and her mother. Chartier, reluctantly, agreed. www. mikeoncrime. com By Mike McIntyre ' Probably' guilty man walks in sex- assault case Sentenced for aiding drug dealer Mother, friend of accused tried to hide key evidence By Mike McIntyre ' There was a concerted effort here to get rid of the evidence' - Crown attorney Mark Lafreniere ' To this day she's gobsmacked he would have something like that in his home' - Dan Manning, lawyer for defendant Sarai Toruno, saying she wasn't aware she was helping move a loaded firearm POLICE arrested a 21- year- old suspect about 10 minutes after a man was shot in the upper body in the Lord Roberts neighbourhood Tuesday afternoon. A 21- year- old man was shot in the 700 block of Nassau Street South about 2: 15 p. m. and taken to hospital after he managed to run a few blocks towards Taft Crescent. Gage Alexander Hale, of Winnipeg, faces attempted- murder and several firearms charges. Police aren't releasing the victim's name, but said he and the suspect were " aware of each other" and investigators believe the shooting was targeted. Const. Rob Carver said police are not " entirely sure yet" whether the shooting was gang- related. " It's somewhat preliminary to say whether it is or it isn't," he said, declining to label it a " driveby" shooting. Police found the suspect in a vehicle on Marion Street but don't know whether shots were fired from inside the vehicle. " It's absolutely, incredibly reckless, ( an) incredibly dangerous act. And we've seen this in other cities, where innocent bystanders who have nothing to do with this can become innocent victims as well. It's tragic we have one victim. We're very lucky there weren't more victims and possibly people who were completely unrelated to any part of this," Carver said. Carver could not confirm details of the arrest, but media reports indicated the suspect may have been pinned by a police car so he couldn't escape. Manitoba's independent investigation unit has a mandate to investigate when any police officer has been involved in an incident causing serious injury or death. " At this point in time, I do not believe the independent investigation unit is in play, but we're treating this absolutely by the book. If any of the criteria for that unit has been met, then they will be investigating," he said. The victim was treated in hospital Wednesday. katie. may@ freepress. mb. ca Shooting suspect treated in hospital B_ 03_ Jul- 30- 15_ FP_ 01. indd B3 7/ 29/ 15 8: 14: 59 PM ;