A woman who set fire to her house while her family was inside will remain under court supervision for the next two and a half years.
The 43-year-old mother of two was arrested on charges of arson and attempted murder after a fire in Bashaw on Dec. 16, 2010.
She pleaded guilty in Red Deer provincial court on Tuesday to a single charge of setting fire to an occupied house.
Her name is withheld to protect the identities of her children.
The guilty plea was tendered after a series of meetings with the Crown, including review of psychiatric assessments during which the woman was discovered to be affected by a significant personality disorder.
Judge Gordon Deck heard that the woman had obeyed all release conditions and responded well to therapy since being granted bail in February 2011 and taken to a ranch near Irricana, under close supervision of the couple who own the property.
Court heard that assessments of her mental health status indicated that her risk to reoffend is low, that her husband is supportive and they hope to reunite as a family.
After hearing submissions from Crown prosecutor Jason Snider and defence counsel Brian Beresh, Deck agreed that a conditional sentence followed by a period of probation would be appropriate.
The 18-month conditional sentence includes house arrest for the first year and a curfew for the remaining six months. Deck ordered that she serve one year of probation following the conditional sentence to ensure that she continues to attend counselling and take any therapy her probation officer feels necessary.
She is to remain living at the ranch for now and will be allowed supervised visits with her husband and children. Her sentence supervisor may allow her to move back into her own home later on, with her husband and parents to take responsibility for her actions.
bkossowan@www.reddeeradvocate.com