Marchand bar fight ends in drug and guns conviction

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/04/2014 (3639 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A mid-afternoon bar fight between two men with brass knuckles at the Marchand Inn last November ended with convictions in Steinbach court Thursday for growing pot, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and possessing firearms without a license.

Cory Erik Kehler, 27, received a conditional jail sentence of six months to be served in the community after pleading guilty to charges that even defence attorney Gerri Wiebe said had, “an element of sheer stupidity.” It all started when Kehler and a 38-year-old friend started arguing over what music was playing at the bar around 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 28. RCMP were called to break up the fight. Police were given the license plate number of the vehicle Kehler and the man he was fighting with had left together in and Kehler’s Marchand address.

When police arrived at the home, they found the two bloodied men and Kehler’s pregnant girlfriend. Concerned for everyone’s safety, the police went into the home. That is when they found harvested pot, 16 marijuana plants and a number of cloned pot saplings. The brass knuckles were sitting on the table. The police also found a semi automatic rifle and a bolt action rifle along with ammo that the Crown said was safely stored separately. Kehler explained to police he meant to get a license but had not gotten around to it yet.

Kehler also explained that the marijuana was for his personal use, and that he learned to grow the plants when he did so legally for medical purposes years ago with a friend who has since passed away from cancer. Kehler believed using pot was a good bridge to sobriety from his addiction to cocaine.

The conditional sentence includes an order for an absolute curfew at Kehler’s new La Broquerie residence except for work, medical and counseling purposes, community service, and four hours per week for personal errands like buying groceries. Kehler must perform 25 hours of community service, abstain from alcohol and drugs, not attend an establishment where the primary product is alcohol, submit a sample of his DNA, submit to regular searches, and may not possess weapons for ten years. He must also pay $600 in mandatory victim surcharges that went into effect after federal legislation last year.

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