UNITY — Logan Sieben, of Macklin, showed up in court for the first time on June 16 in Unity. Sieben pleaded guilty to arson causing property damage earlier this year in January for fires he intentionally set between July 28 to Aug. 25, 2024. The other two charges, which included one count of arson with intent to defraud and one count of theft under $5,000, have been adjourned to a later date.
At the June sitting, the Crown prosecutor and defence attorney had the opportunity to address the presiding judge. The Crown is asking for the courts to sentence Sieben to six months of community service followed by 12 months of probation. They are also seeking restitution; however, a total has not been settled on between the two parties. As many of the victims who suffered from Sieben’s actions have been partially compensated via insurance claims, the Crown believes the former firefighter should be held accountable for some of the cost.
Sieben’s lawyer spoke of his client’s past, including a suicide attempt as a teen. In October 2024, Sieben had checked himself into the North Battleford psychiatric hospital, where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His lawyer stated Sieben had no criminal past, taken responsibility for his actions and has not been in any further trouble since being charged. The defence had also added Sieben’s risk of reoffending is at 13 per cent, according to the pre-sentence report.
While the amount of restitution is still undetermined, the Crown and defence have been unable to settle on an amount to be paid. The Crown suggested $76,650 in restitution with the suggestion that payment be made to the Macklin & District Fire and Rescue to be divided among the victims. Sieben’s lawyer said the amount proposed by the Crown is more than expected and that the monies being paid to the fire department in trust is not commonly heard of. He added that the 25-year-old is willing to make $1,000 monthly payments during his time on probation and that restitution should be given once an amount is settled on, preferably in civil court.
Sieben took a moment to speak to the court, apologizing for his actions and stating “nothing like this will ever happen again” before the judge stated he needed time to review all the information and adjourned sentencing to July 21.
Macklin Fire Chief, Justin Bast, spoke with SaskToday following Sieben’s hearing, saying, “I understand the judge needs to take some time to go over everything. There was a lot of information presented today.”
According to Bast, Sieben has not been in contact with any of the members of the Macklin & District Fire and Rescue since being charged.
Sieben will be back in Unity court on July 21 at 10 a.m. for sentencing.
