Woman receives probation for theft, assault

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This article was published 07/09/2022 (1262 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 28-year-old woman pleaded guilty to a litany of charges, including theft, possession of property obtained by crime and assaulting a peace officer, in a Brandon courtroom Tuesday.

Raeleen Benn was sentenced to 117 days time served and will be spending the next 18 months under supervised probation.

The charges stem from a pair of incidents that took place in June, during which Benn stole from two local businesses and was arrested by police afterward.

The first of the incidents occurred on June 12 around 10:17 p.m., when Real Canadian Superstore staff reported that a woman was causing a disturbance and leaving the building with items that were not paid for.

Police quickly caught up with Benn in the 400 block of Ninth Street. They discovered that she had taken under $100 in products and was bound by court-imposed conditions to avoid entering the store.

After being released from custody, Benn proceeded to steal merchandise from the Dollarama located at 809 18th St. on June 21.

According to Crown attorney Andrew Sieklicki, Benn took around $145 worth of items and sped away in a brown Honda Civic.

However, Benn struck a parked car during her getaway, and punched the vehicle’s owner in the face multiple times as he attempted to speak with her.

“The female then got back in her vehicle and began to drive east down College Avenue, at which time police arrived and went after the vehicle,” Sieklicki said.

After stopping Benn in her car, police attempted to place her under arrest but were met with resistance.

This struggle escalated to the point where Benn punched one of the arresting officers in the mouth, resulting in minor injuries that included a swollen lip.

Further investigation into the June 21 incident revealed that the Honda Civic Benn was driving had been reported stolen, alongside a cellphone, credit card and sunglasses that were in the woman’s possession.

Sieklicki said this isn’t the only time Benn had been arrested for assaulting a police officer, pointing to a court case that was settled early last year.

According to a report from the Sun, Benn pleaded guilty to stabbing a police officer in the head with a meth-filled needle and was sentenced to two years in jail on Jan. 14, 2021.

Defence lawyer Bob Harrison said Tuesday that his client’s behaviour is fuelled by significant mental health issues and an addiction to prescription drugs.

However, Harrison told the court that Benn is serious about turning her life around and will abide by the conditions laid out in an extended term of supervised probation recommended by both the Crown and the defence.

Judge Donovan Dvorak ultimately signed off on the joint recommendation, telling Benn that she must abide by various court-imposed conditions over the next 18 months.

The conditions bar Benn from owning weapons, attending the businesses she stole from and contacting the individuals she assaulted.

Benn appeared in court via video conference on Tuesday. She told the court that she was embarrassed by her actions and is sorry for the harm she caused her victims.

» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @KyleDarbyson