Resident Jackie Lea Okemaysim will have to pay some hefty fines for several criminal charges and ticket offences she acquired within the last year.
Appearing in Moose Jaw provincial court recently, Okemaysim, 31, pleaded guilty to possessing a weapon (bear mace), failing to attend court, possession of an illegal substance (crystal meth), and breach of probation.
As part of a joint submission, she will have to pay a fine of $900, which includes $400 for the weapons offence, $300 for the possession of meth, and $100 each for failing to attend court and breach of probation.
Okemaysim also pleaded guilty to failing to stop for a peace officer and for driving while suspended. She was fined $300 for the first charge and $100 for the second charge.
She has until Dec. 31 to pay all the fines to provincial court. Since she appeared in provincial court by video, she was remanded back into custody.
Moose Jaw police were on patrol on July 25, 2018 at 1:54 a.m. after receiving a complaint of a motorist driving dangerously when they spotted Okemaysim on Athabasca Street West, explained Crown prosecutor Robbie Parker while reviewing the facts. Police activated their lights and began following Okemaysim, but she accelerated away from them.
Police kept following until the 500 block of Hochelaga Street West, where they turned off their lights and stopped the pursuit due to safety issues.
Two weeks later, on Aug. 9, 2018 at 2:35 p.m., police were again on patrol when their automated licence plate reader picked up Okemaysim’s vehicle and indicated her plates were expired.
“Failing to stop for a peace officer is a scary thing,” said Judge Brian Hendrickson, pointing out someone could have been injured or killed during the pursuit.
Moose Jaw police were later called to the 800 block of Fairford Street East on Oct. 5, 2018 around 2:48 p.m. about a woman who had been asleep at the wheel of a running vehicle for three hours, said Parker.
Okemaysim told police she had consumed alcohol hours before. However, she had no alcohol in her bloodstream after police conducted a test on her blood alcohol content (BAC) levels.
While searching through her vehicle, police discovered 1.8 grams of crystal meth and a can of bear spray.
Okemaysim was given six months of probation in December 2018 for her charge of simple possession, along with fraudulently impersonating someone else and her breach of recognizance, said federal Crown prosecutor Suzanne Young. She failed to report for an appointment with her probation officer almost immediately after she was given probation.
The offences that occurred in October and December were at a time when Okemaysim was going through a difficult period in her life, explained legal aid lawyer Suzanne Jeanson. Since then, she has completed outpatient treatment, is attending meetings of Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous and lives in Saskatoon at a home for sober women.
“Her main motivation is she wants to be a better parent,” Jeanson said.
After hearing from the Crown and defence, Judge Hendrickson accepted their joint submission recommendations.
Moose Jaw provincial court next meets on June 10.
