A few more weeks in jail plus a few months on probation have been ordered for a Red Deer woman arrested on Sept. 21, 2015 by police investigating reports of someone driving around the city and pointing an imitation firearm at people on the street.
Madison Leigh Coutre, 24, was arrested late in the day by Red Deer RCMP who saw three suspects walking in the area where they had found the SUV, the suspect vehicle, reported stolen 17 days earlier.
Coutre was charged with multiple offences, including possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, two counts of possessing stolen property, making or possessing ID documents, flight from police, dangerous driving and breaching release conditions.
In Red Deer provincial court on June 27, represented by defence counsel Andrew Phypers, Coutre pleaded guilty to possessing stolen goods under $5,000 and to the breach, but a discussion developed over whether she could be convicted for being in possession of the SUV.
After reviewing case law and taking written submissions from Phypers and Crown prosecutor Bruce Ritter, Judge John Holmes ruled on Thursday that Coutre was guilty of possessing stolen property in relation to the SUV.
He ordered that she serve a global sentence of 90 days for the three offences, minus 17 days of credit for the time she has served in custody. She was also placed on probation for 18 months. Coutre remains behind bars awaiting process on other charges.