Man who dragged panhandler with car apologizes in court to victim's mother
CBC
A Calgary man who dragged a woman for about 150 metres as she clung to the side of his car pleaded guilty to dangerous driving Monday and was handed a two-year conditional sentence order.
Duba Wario, 22, will be on house arrest for the first year of his conditional sentence order and a curfew for the second year. He is also banned from driving for two years.
Court heard that Wario, who has cognitive impairment, lives at a supportive living facility in Calgary for young adults experiencing homelessness and addictions.
He receives support from a case worker who was in court on Monday for the plea.
Wario's victim was a woman named Roan Campsall, a 28-year-old who was experiencing homelessness and drug addiction at the time of the incident. She died in December from circumstances unrelated to her interaction with Wario.
Campsall suffered what prosecutor Dominique Mathurin described as "fairly superficial" injuries to her foot and buttocks during the May 2023 incident.
Details of the crime come from an agreed statement of facts read aloud by Mathurin.
Court of King's Bench Justice Andrea Froese heard that just before 7 p.m. on May 26, 2023, Campsall was panhandling around 16th Avenue and Edmonton Trail N.E. She had an initial interaction with Wario, during which he gave her $2.
Campsall and her boyfriend, who was nearby, began walking away from the area when Wario pulled up beside them in his car.
There was an argument and Wario began driving away but Campsall held onto the driver's-side window, according to the agree statement of facts.
She screamed at Wario to stop and later told police she feared falling under the wheels.
Eventually, Campsall, who was by that point barefoot, fell off the side of the car. Her boyfriend called 911 and she was taken to hospital with injuries to her feet and buttocks.
After the incident, Wario became homeless himself and began living in Calgary's shelters.
Defence lawyer Sarah Dover spent much of Monday's hearing giving the court details of her client's upbringing and current circumstances, giving credit to a series of workers who she says are helping Wario "to make sure that this never happens again."
Saskatoon city hall says police spending is projected to be $2.6 million over budget this year. That pushes the city into a $1.2-million deficit position, according to a report that will be considered by city council next week.
Students at the University of Regina are days away from deciding whether a newly formed student association should become their official representative body.
All public schools on P.E.I. are closed Friday and thousands of Maritime Electric customers are without power as strong winds create hazardous travel conditions across the province.
Prince Rupert, B.C., residents are celebrating the holidays this year with coastal flair.
In the four years Chelsey Simmonds has worked at the Eva Rothwell Centre, she has seen the need increase every year at the centre’s community food pantry.
CBC is once again looking to make the holiday season kind in Windsor-Essex.
Acute Care Alberta has extended its contract for another year with a private surgical facility at the centre of probes into health procurement and contracting.
As food bank use continues to climb across the province, front-line workers in Thunder Bay, Ont., are working to improve both food security and education.
More ads could soon be coming to Toronto’s subway system.
The driver wanted in connection with a fatal hit and run on Highway 401 earlier this week has been identified, police say.
There are mixed feelings about the proposed Grays Bay road and port project, among people who live in nearby communities.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse and includes graphic content.
Provincial police in Lambton County have charged a 23-year-old man with second degree murder following a death investigation that began this past Saturday.