Sentences have been handed down to two individuals in connection to an incident on Moosomin First Nation where a man attempted to fire a shotgun at a vehicle.
Christopher Ludviksen, also known as Wells, age 25, of Glaslyn was sentenced in North Battleford Provincial Court to four and a half years in connection to the incident that took place Jan. 14 at the First Nation. His co-accused, Jordan Night, received a 31-month sentence.
Both were credited with 19 months of remand time, credited as two months for one served. That means Ludviksen will spend the next 35 months in a federal penitentiary while Night will be serving 12 months.
The sentences were handed down by Judge David Kaiser after receiving submissions from counsel Tuesday morning.
In addition, Ludviksen receives a 20-year firearms prohibition, with a lifetime ban imposed on prohibited or restricted firearms. A DNA sample was also ordered. Night also receives a lifetime firearms prohibition.
Ludviksen's sentence was in line to the Crown's recommendation that he serve an additional 36 months. Defence lawyer Kevin Hill had called for 24 more months, saying his client was extremely remorseful and pointing to his guilty pleas as a mitigating factor.
Night's sentence was in line with counsel's joint submission calling for an additional 12 months.
Ludviksen had previously entered guilty pleas to the charges of uttering threats, assault with a weapon, failure to comply with a probation order, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and unauthorized possession of a firearm. Sixteen other charges, including one of attempted murder, were dropped at the end of sentencing.
Night's guilty pleas had been for assault with a weapon and for possession of a weapon while prohibited. Four other charges were dropped.
According to facts presented in court, Battlefords RCMP were called to Moosomin First Nation Jan. 14 in response to a complaint about two individuals who had exited a vehicle and pointed a gun at two individuals. The two individuals were Ludviksen and Night.
Ludviksen drove the vehicle while Night was in the passenger seat. The vehicle stopped in the yard outside a residence where members of the Wright family were holding a wake.
Both accused handled the firearm, described as a sawed-off shotgun, before Ludviksen approached a parked vehicle while in possession of the firearm. Inside the vehicle were three people - Elcid, Peter and William Wright.
As the Crown outlined in court, Ludviksen threatened to harm the individuals and pointed the firearm at Elcid Wright who was in the driver seat. He pulled the trigger but the firearm failed to discharge. He then ejected the round and again pulled the trigger, but again the firearm failed to discharge.
By this point, several members of the Wright family in attendance had equipped themselves with firearms from the family residence, and Ludviksen fled the scene through a wooded area, pursued by several of those family members.
Ludviksen remained at large for two days before being arrested by the RCMP. Night, however, was apprehended by the Wright family and a fight occurred where he received a number of minor injuries. Upon the RCMP's arrival on the scene, Night was taken into custody.
According to the statement, it appears issues surrounding drugs and gangs may have prompted the visitation, with Ludviksen admitting he had previous contact with the street gang the Native Syndicate, including Ryan Osecap. Osecap is currently serving a six-year jail term for his role earlier this year in a 98th Street home invasion in North Battleford. Night had also claimed previous contact with the Native Syndicate, according to the facts of the case, but claimed he was no longer associated with the gang prior to or at the incident.
In sentencing Ludviksen, Judge Kaiser noted he was "relieved" he was not sentencing him for something worse, such as manslaughter, saying the incident "could have been one of the most tragic things I could imagine."
Kaiser also noted the deliberate nature of the crime committed, pointing to the fact the trigger was pulled twice. "(It) wasn't a mistake, wasn't an error," Kaiser noted.
