good Morning

[ringadingh]

Good Morning; 38 and overcast, we've had lots of fog yesterday.
Going for an Xray later today, Ive lost the movement in my rh thumb,Dr. says its tendonitis.

[sly]

Take care Steve........ freezing rain in the forecast, off to work later, this is going to suck! Have a great day eh!

[Loafer]

Best to you Steve!

Morning, 33-35* snow predicted.
Trying to buy a snow blower on craigslist, people put something up for sale and
then they don't answer you. ?? After a few requests I get an answer like this. " I
should be around the house Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Here's the address,
you can look up the directions". ???

Everyone have a great day!

[cnc]

Good morning, hope all goes well Steve.
Bit of light snow expected. Busy day again today, then some fun stuff. Going to look at a new Yamaha sled.

[davidjmurphy]

BRIDGEWATER — A Chester Basin gas station owner who pleaded guilty to fracturing a masked burglar’s skull in May 2013 was given a conditional discharge Wednesday in Bridgewater provincial court.

Wesley David Hatt, 53, who owns a Petro-Canada station, will have no criminal record once he successfully completes 50 hours of community service work and nine months of probation.

He pleaded guilty in October to assault causing bodily harm against Bruce Richard Long, 31, of Bridgewater. A conviction carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Crown attorney David Acker and defence lawyer Michael Scott gave Judge Jim Burrill a joint recommendation for a discharge, but Hatt’s lawyer argued in favour of an absolute one.

The court heard that Hatt’s security company called him about a broken window at his station in the early morning hours of May 24, 2013. When he arrived, a neighbour told him that the damage had been carried out by an intoxicated man riding an all-terrain vehicle.

An ATV driven by Long, whose face was hidden by a ski mask, arrived at the property. Hatt saw him pick up a cinder block, and the two started to struggle.

Hatt, a bodybuilder with martial arts training, pulled Long, who is six feet tall and weighs about 220 pounds, off the vehicle.

Hatt called 911, but it took police 30 minutes to arrive. During that time, he stayed on the phone with 911; Long was heard saying he had a gun and other threats.

Hatt asked some passersby to help him but was left to his own devices. Long attempted to get up and leave and was struck several times with a piece of exhaust pipe before police arrived.

The arriving officer had to wrestle Long to the ground twice. Police took a blood sample and found he had 181 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. In October 2013, he was sentenced to just over two years in Dorchester Penitentiary on charges of break and enter, theft, impaired driving, driving while disqualified and breaching a court order.

He also has convictions for assaulting police, resisting arrest, break and enter, possession of stolen property, impaired driving, public mischief, property mischief, breaching a court order and breaching probation.

After police arrived, Hatt initially didn’t tell them about the exhaust pipe, but he asked for another chance to speak to them the next day.

“I’m going to suggest his conscience was getting to him, realizing, certainly, that he had gone over the line, so to speak,” Acker told the court.

“‘I know I used excessive force,’ he told the police.”

Hatt, who surrendered the piece of pipe to police, later said he hit Long at least three times. In addition to multiple skull fractures, Long suffered a broken jaw and brain swelling.

Hatt was initially charged with assault with a weapon and aggravated assault, but he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge in October. He had no prior convictions and a positive presentence report.

Although Acker agreed that a discharge made sense, he wanted to see conditions attached.

“Some, I’m sure, will view this recommendation as on the lighter side,” he said.

“Some will view it as appropriate. There will be some who’ll question, in the circumstances, why he was even charged. So be it.

“If the intruder died as a result of his being struck in the head, Mr. Hatt may have … been facing manslaughter charges.”

Scott said no one involved in the case had any argument with the facts.

“The wrestling here has always been the Crown, police and defence trying to figure out how we characterize what Mr. Hatt admittedly did. This is an event that would never have happened but for the deliberate criminal activity of the quote-unquote victim.”

In making his decision, Burrill said Hatt was justified in using force against Long but went slightly too far. He acknowledged that Hatt was protecting his business, had a long wait for police and was trying to detain a resistant, drunk man.

He said 95 per cent of Hatt’s actions were justified, but not the level of force used.

Burrill said he imposed conditions on the discharge to reinforce to the community that Hatt’s actions exceeded the law.

Hatt did not want to speak to reporters afterwards, but Scott showed displeasure with the decision.

“I have a little bit of difficulty just given the fact that this is such an extraordinarily unusual set of circumstances. He did what he thought was right … but he did cross the line a little bit.”

Long was given the opportunity but did not provide a victim impact statement.

[davidjmurphy]

Good luck Steve. Rain here today not a flake of snow on the ground yet.

[ringadingh]

Good Morning; 27 & cloudy, Still need the Xray, there was such a wait at the clinic that I had to leave for work, I'll try again today or tomorrow.

[ringadingh]

Originally Posted by davidjmurphy

BRIDGEWATER — A Chester Basin gas station owner who pleaded guilty to fracturing a masked burglar’s skull in May 2013 was given a conditional discharge Wednesday in Bridgewater provincial court.

Wesley David Hatt, 53, who owns a Petro-Canada station, will have no criminal record once he successfully completes 50 hours of community service work and nine months of probation.

He pleaded guilty in October to assault causing bodily harm against Bruce Richard Long, 31, of Bridgewater. A conviction carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Crown attorney David Acker and defence lawyer Michael Scott gave Judge Jim Burrill a joint recommendation for a discharge, but Hatt’s lawyer argued in favour of an absolute one.

The court heard that Hatt’s security company called him about a broken window at his station in the early morning hours of May 24, 2013. When he arrived, a neighbour told him that the damage had been carried out by an intoxicated man riding an all-terrain vehicle.

An ATV driven by Long, whose face was hidden by a ski mask, arrived at the property. Hatt saw him pick up a cinder block, and the two started to struggle.

Hatt, a bodybuilder with martial arts training, pulled Long, who is six feet tall and weighs about 220 pounds, off the vehicle.

Hatt called 911, but it took police 30 minutes to arrive. During that time, he stayed on the phone with 911; Long was heard saying he had a gun and other threats.

Hatt asked some passersby to help him but was left to his own devices. Long attempted to get up and leave and was struck several times with a piece of exhaust pipe before police arrived.

The arriving officer had to wrestle Long to the ground twice. Police took a blood sample and found he had 181 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. In October 2013, he was sentenced to just over two years in Dorchester Penitentiary on charges of break and enter, theft, impaired driving, driving while disqualified and breaching a court order.

He also has convictions for assaulting police, resisting arrest, break and enter, possession of stolen property, impaired driving, public mischief, property mischief, breaching a court order and breaching probation.

After police arrived, Hatt initially didn’t tell them about the exhaust pipe, but he asked for another chance to speak to them the next day.

“I’m going to suggest his conscience was getting to him, realizing, certainly, that he had gone over the line, so to speak,” Acker told the court.

“‘I know I used excessive force,’ he told the police.”

Hatt, who surrendered the piece of pipe to police, later said he hit Long at least three times. In addition to multiple skull fractures, Long suffered a broken jaw and brain swelling.

Hatt was initially charged with assault with a weapon and aggravated assault, but he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge in October. He had no prior convictions and a positive presentence report.

Although Acker agreed that a discharge made sense, he wanted to see conditions attached.

“Some, I’m sure, will view this recommendation as on the lighter side,” he said.

“Some will view it as appropriate. There will be some who’ll question, in the circumstances, why he was even charged. So be it.

“If the intruder died as a result of his being struck in the head, Mr. Hatt may have … been facing manslaughter charges.”

Scott said no one involved in the case had any argument with the facts.

“The wrestling here has always been the Crown, police and defence trying to figure out how we characterize what Mr. Hatt admittedly did. This is an event that would never have happened but for the deliberate criminal activity of the quote-unquote victim.”

In making his decision, Burrill said Hatt was justified in using force against Long but went slightly too far. He acknowledged that Hatt was protecting his business, had a long wait for police and was trying to detain a resistant, drunk man.

He said 95 per cent of Hatt’s actions were justified, but not the level of force used.

Burrill said he imposed conditions on the discharge to reinforce to the community that Hatt’s actions exceeded the law.

Hatt did not want to speak to reporters afterwards, but Scott showed displeasure with the decision.

“I have a little bit of difficulty just given the fact that this is such an extraordinarily unusual set of circumstances. He did what he thought was right … but he did cross the line a little bit.”

Long was given the opportunity but did not provide a victim impact statement.

Hatt made the mistake of saying he used excessive force,its amazing that in Canada we get charged for trying to protect ourselves.

[sly]

Light snow, humid and the old bones are felling it, have a great day eh!

[fish]

Hatt made the mistake of saying he used excessive force,its amazing that in Canada we get charged for trying to protect ourselves.

Not only in Canada but here in the states too.

Morning 36* going for a shot in the shoulder in a couple of minutes
__________________

[The Black Knight]

Good morning! T 7°C, partly sunny.
Have a nice day!

[GeorgeHouston]

9 degrees and too cold and yeah good morning

[cnc]

He should have said the SOB threated to kill me and He feared for his life.

[Kawhead]

Best to you Ring!

Morning Everybody! 38 out there and dark.

[cnc]

Morning, a bit cloudy and 18f. First day living at the country house. Even though I have loved being at this place for over 40 years, it feels weird knowing we have no home in the city. It's gonna take a bit of time to unwind.