(JESSICA WALLACE / iNFOnews.ca)
September 30, 2013 - 10:48 AM
KAMLOOPS - A Sharpe Lake rancher who was sentenced earlier this month for killing her neighbour's dog asked the court today for three more months to apologize to her neighbour.
Ruth Robinson was ordered to do so as part of the conditions set out in her conditional discharge after she was convicted for one count of killing or injuring an animal
The conviction stemmed from an incident in June 2011. Robinson told the court during her trial that she shot the dog, 'Bud', because she believed it to be attacking $40,000 of cattle when it wandered onto her property. She told the court she believed to be well within her rights under the Livestock Act.
However, Kamloops provincial court judge Chris Cleaveley ruled that the dog posed no danger to the cattle and thought an ongoing neighbourly dispute was more likely the reason behind the death of Bud. Cleaveley handed Robinson a fine but did not sentence her to jail-time despite a recommendation from the Crown.
Today Cleaveley was surprised by Robinson's application for an extension to apologize.
"If I do grant an extension, why should it be for three months?" he asked.
Crown Prosecutor Alex Janse said the Crown had no objection for the extension because by the time an application appeal date could be scheduled, the extension would be irrelevant. Cleaveley was not interested in dancing around court procedures.
"I'll grant that extension until Oct. 31," he said. "I'm not quite sure why it would take three months."
To contact a reporter for this story, email: jwallace@infotelnews.ca, call: (250) 319-7494 or tweet: @jess__wallace.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013