By Angela Brown

Woman to be sentenced for Delmas area shooting

Oct 30, 2018 | 5:43 PM

A woman facing charges related to a shooting incident near Delmas made a tearful apology when she appeared at a sentencing hearing Tuesday in North Battleford provincial court. 

Verena Petruka, 30, of Melville, had pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm at an officer near Delmas on April 14 and to being an accessory to a robbery for a separate incident in Regina on April 13. The remaining charges were stayed by the Crown.

The Crown prosecutor and defence lawyer recommended a joint submission of eight-and-a-half-years in custody as a global sentence for both offences. The accused has been in custody since April. Both Crown prosecutors from North Battleford and Regina had worked in making the submission with the defence lawyer in the case. 

Because of the complexity of the case, Judge Daniel O’Hanlon said he wanted to further consider the details and would be announcing his decision on Nov. 9.

The court heard that on April 14 police were pursuing a vehicle travelling on Highway 16 near Delmas in which the accused had been in the passenger seat. The vehicle had previously been identified as matching the description of a taxi that was stolen in a robbery in Regina on April 13. The co-accused in the case was said to have been driving the vehicle.

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Tristan Pinder is facing separate charges in these matters.

Petruka was said to have fired a shot at the officer’s vehicle from the moving vehicle she was in, although the shot didn’t make contact with the police vehicle. She then allegedly lost control of the rifle and it fell into the ditch. She later handled the shotgun the co-accused allegedly used and threw it out the window.

While the officer was not injured, his vehicle allegedly received some damage from gunshots from the co-accused’s firearm.

After the accused’s van turned off on a side road near Delmas, the vehicle became stuck in the snow in a ditch. The two accused were eventually arrested with the aid of a police dog.

The court heard Petruka had assisted the co-accused in the robbery of the cab. In the incident, the cab driver was allegedly assaulted by the co-accused. 

The Crown prosecutor indicated aggravating factors include Petruka’s apparent indifference for human life by putting the cab driver and police officer at risk. As well, many RCMP hours have been devoted to the case. Some of the mitigating factors are that Petruka has no record and has entered pleas.

In addressing the court amidst tears, Petruka said she was sorry for the victims’ families. 

“I can’t take it back but I ask for their forgiveness,” she said.

Petruka said she believes she had what she describes as “a mental break” at the time.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW