PRINCE ALBERT — The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has upheld the conviction and sentence of Aaron James Jack Douglas, who led police on a 16-minute high-speed chase in Prince Albert, striking two police cruisers and injuring an officer.
A three-judge panel dismissed appeals from Douglas who sought to overturn his 2020 conviction and dangerous offender designation from incidents that occurred in 2017.
“The trial judge did not err by failing to stay the proceedings because of the Charter breach,” said Justice Jerome A. Tholl in his May 1 written decision, in concurrence with Justices Jeffery D. Kalmakoff and Jillyne M. Drennan.
The court ruled that while the actions of the two officers were wrong and the force used was excessive, the incident was brief and Douglas didn’t suffer serious injuries.
In addition, Justice Tholl said that Douglas meets the criteria to be designated a dangerous offender.
“The evidence establishes beyond a reasonable doubt a pattern of repetitive behaviour showing a failure to restrain his behaviour that has, in the past, caused death or injury to other persons.”
Court documents reveal that in 1999, Douglas killed two people while attempting to evade police.
The Appeal Court also dismissed the Crown’s appeal, which had argued that the man should be locked up indefinitely.
“The trial judge did not commit an error of law in imposing a determinate sentence,” said Justice Tholl. “The Crown had not established a basis for appellate interference in sentencing.”
The case stems from Oct. 28, 2017, when Douglas, then 36, drove a Honda Civic through red lights and stop signs, into oncoming traffic, and across a field before crashing. At one point, he struck an officer’s vehicle, causing it to spin out and injuring an officer. After Police Service Dog Febee tracked Douglas to a hiding spot, two officers briefly used excessive force, pushing or slamming the handcuffed man and landing one punch or kick, according to court documents. The trial judge found this violated Douglas’s Charter rights but refused to stay the charges.
Douglas was convicted of dangerous driving, failing to stop at an accident, and causing bodily harm while evading police. At sentencing, the Crown asked for a dangerous offender designation with an indeterminate sentence.
The trial judge designated Douglas a dangerous offender, and imposed a 10-year determinate sentence followed by a 10-year long-term supervision order.
