Probation for threatening to slice up liquor store staff while drunk | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Kamloops News

Probation for threatening to slice up liquor store staff while drunk

KAMLOOPS - A 51-year-old man has avoided jail time for stumbling into a Kamloops liquor store drunk and threatening to slice an employee into pieces.

Ronald Fredrick Durieux was sentenced to two years probation in Kamloops provincial court Thursday. He had earlier plead guilty to uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.

The court heard Durieux entered a Kamloops liquor store on May 12 of this year intoxicated when he suddenly became distraught with two staff members. Staff described 'an instant change' in Durieux when he slammed his fists into the counter, asked for a kiss from the female employee and threatened to cut, slice and/or skin the other staff member.

"He asked her for a kiss and then said to her, 'Tell your buddy I'm going to come back and cut him into pieces,'" said Evan Goulet, an articling student for the Crown.

Staff phoned the police when Durieux left. He was arrested, and a two-inch folding pocket knife was found stuck into the dashboard of the vehicle.

Defence lawyer Don Campbell said Durieux has no memory of what happened and had mistakenly mixed alcohol with prescription medication he was taking for depression and anxiety.

Durieux told the court he was embarassed, "This has been a really trying time in my life."

Durieux has a history of violence. He was convicted for assault in 2008 and breached court orders in 2011 when caught with unregistered firearms. He was also charged in 2010 for unlawful confinement or imprisonment, assault causing bodily harm but was acquitted.

Provincial court judge Roy Dickey said a longer probationary period would make more sense than jail time.

"I accept he is remorseful for the circumstances," Dickey said. "I accept that he has no recollection of these particular events."

Durieux was ordered to abide by mandatory probation orders such as keeping the peace and being of good behaviour. He was also ordered to stay away from liquor stores and establishments serving alcohol, was ordered to stay away from drugs and alcohol and is banned from owning weapons and from having a knife outside his home. He was also ordered to seek anger management counselling if his probabtion officer agrees he needs it.

To contact a reporter for this story, email: jwallace@infotelnews.ca, call: (250) 319-7494 or tweet: @jess__wallace.

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