Sioux Valley man denied bail to ‘protect complainant’

A 40-year-old man from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation facing multiple charges — including assaulting his ex-girlfriend and violating an order not to communicate with her — was denied bail in Brandon provincial court on Thursday.

Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta said Ryan Demas has shown a “persistent disregard” for protective conditions involving his former intimate partner since October 2025 when the first alleged assault took place.

“I’m concerned about protecting the complainant in this matter. And unfortunately, the record and the allegations that have accumulated point to a substantial likelihood that he will continue to commit offences if he’s released,” she said in court.

Georgia Steeves, an articling student with the Crown Attorney Office, detailed the facts of the case. None of the allegations has been tested in court.

On Oct. 17, 2025, Virden RCMP received a report from safety officers in Sioux Valley Dakota Nation that a 32-year-old woman had been assaulted by her boyfriend on Sept. 20 and that he had also broken her cellphone on Oct. 10.

RCMP met with the victim and said she “was very agitated and concerned for her safety at the time,” Steeves said, adding that the accused allegedly “punched her and kicked her.”

Police arrested Demas and charged him with assault and mischief under $5,000. He was released on an undertaking with a court order not to contact the woman.

Around 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 24, RCMP received a phone call from the woman’s mother, alleging Demas had assaulted her daughter earlier that morning, Steeves said.

“While speaking with investigators, (the woman) disclosed that she had recently discovered she was pregnant with Demas’ child and went over to his residence the day before to inform him of the news,” she said.

The woman told officers she was aware there was a no-contact order between them, but she wanted to tell her ex-boyfriend in person.

The Crown said that Demas and the woman reconciled and consumed alcohol together until early in the morning.

Around 4 a.m., they got into an argument and the woman alleges Demas shoved her and prevented her from leaving his home by hiding her shoes, Steeves said.

The woman slept on the couch until 7 a.m. when she tried to leave the house again, but the accused allegedly shoved her for the second time and wouldn’t provide her shoes.

Demas was arrested later that day and charged with assault and failure to comply with an undertaking.

He was most recently arrested on Sunday when Brandon police pulled him over around 8:25 p.m. on 18th Street North after the vehicle he was driving wasn’t registered.

Police learned Demas was not only driving despite having a one-year licence suspension, but he was also violating a no-contact order as thealleged victim was in the passenger seat of the vehicle, Steeves said.

He was arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while prohibited and failing to comply with conditions of a release order.

“Demas has a long history of being unable to follow court orders, and we believe he will show the same disregard of court orders with any potential release conditions,” she said.

Defence lawyer Bob Harrison said Demas works for a construction company in Sioux Valley Dakota Nation and has five children. One of his children, who is 14 years old, lives with him.

He said the alleged victim came to Demas’ house on July 19 while she was intoxicated. Demas allegedly told her to leave, knowing they weren’t supposed to be in contact, but she refused, Harrison said.

Then the woman got into her vehicle and Demas decided to drive her home instead because he was sober and didn’t want her to get into a collision, Harrison said.

The defence presented a bail plan for the accused, which included a cash deposit of $1,000, another $1,000 for surety and a $2,000 promise to pay, he said, adding that Demas is not a flight risk because he lives in the community.

“I asked him how far away the complainant lived from him. He says three or four miles, so it’s a fair distance,” Harrison said.

“I told him if she comes to the house, he needs to lock the door and maybe even phone the police.”

Although Demas was denied bail, the judge said he would be able to revise his bail plan for a potential release in the future.

» tadamski@brandonsun.com