BONNYVILLE - Rory Glen Youngchief is taking his run-in with the law as a lesson learned.
The 31-year-old Kehewin male claims he has remained sober after slapping a Bonnyville Neighbourhood Inn employee several months ago.
Crown prosecutor Neil Thomson described the June 20, 2019, incident where RCMP were called about an assault at the local Neighbourhood Inn.
According to witnesses, a male, who was later identified as Youngchief, had come into the establishment intoxicated and became irrate with staff when they refused to serve him.
At one point, a male employee stepped in and asked Youngchief to leave, and as a response, the accused slapped him in the face.
Youngchief admitted to the assault during his Jan. 25 court appearance and agreed to serve a 12-month conditional sentence order.
Thomson noted the Crown was seeking conditions requiring Youngchief to keep the peace, be of good behaviour, attend treatment and counselling specifically in relation to addictions, not attend anywhere within 200-metres of the Bonnyville Neighbourhood Inn, and have no contact with any of the staff involved in the altercation.
The father of one told Honourable Judge Cheryl Arcand-Kootenay, "I take full responsibility for my actions, and I'm sorry."
Youngchiefs' defence counsel, Jana Skarsen, outlined her client's desire to stay sober.
She said since the incident, Youngchief has been taking his work and his sobriety very seriously.
"It's been hard," Youngchief said.
Arcand-Kootenay encouraged him to continue down the path he is on in terms of his position as a cook at a Kehewin school and on his road to living sober. She agreed to the joint submission for a 12-month conditional sentence order with the listed conditions.
