Prince Albert Provincial Court. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Drugs and crime

‘This is not something you’d want your son to do’: arsonist avoids jail time

May 11, 2022 | 2:00 PM

Being high on drugs is no excuse or defence for committing arson and assault.

The comment was made by a Prince Albert judge Wednesday morning at provincial court, prior to sentencing a woman to 15 months probation.

Natasha Daniels, 28, entered guilty pleas to arson, assault, and court breaches.

The case dates back to September, 2020, when Daniels set fire to a trailer on the Sturgeon Lake First Nation. The nearby home was also partially scorched.

According to the statement of facts read in court by Crown Prosecutor Keith Amyotte, Daniels was coming down from a meth high and upon admitting to police what she had done, explained “how terrible her life was.”

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The second incident occurred in August, 2021, police were called to a residence at Sturgeon Lake First Nation and found Daniels engaged in a physical confrontation. Daniels had her arms and legs wrapped around her mother, and had a corkscrew in her hand.

“It appeared she was either going to or threatening to stab the victim,” Amyotte said.

According to family members, Daniels was high on meth and experiencing paranoia and hallucinations.

The probation sentence represented a joint submission from the Crown and Defence. Judge T. Healey described the submission as the lowest end of the scale.

“Frankly I am troubled by it but I will go along with it,” he said.

Turning to Daniels, Healey told her she was getting a break, and that her behaviour was unacceptable.

“You were very fortunate no one was injured in these fires or no one was killed. If they had been, you could have been looking at an extremely long jail sentence,” he said.

Prior to Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, Daniels had no prior criminal record. The conditions of her probation will include seeing a psychiatrist, no drugs or alcohol and living at an approved residence.

Defence lawyer Deborah Hopkins told the court Daniels had a plan to go to Saskatoon, and did not wish to return to Sturgeon Lake, explaining how she felt there were “too many drugs” on the reserve and “too many bad influences.”

Hopkins also explained during her submissions that Daniels had turned to drugs seven years ago after the birth of her son, and was dealing with postpartum depression.

“You need to make some changes, get some help, move forward in a positive direction for you and for your child,” Healey said. “This is not something you’d want your son to do.”

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell