A former jail guard has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for running over and killing a young aboriginal girl in Prince Albert.
45 year-old Leslie Samoleski stared downward while a family member of the victim gasped out loud as the sentence was delivered in provincial court this morning.
Samoleski was arrested in April of 2011 after 14 year-old Montana Netmaker was struck and killed while riding her bicycle along central avenue.
The collision was witnessed by her friends as well as a video-camera.
According to court-records — friends of the little girl saw the vehicle’s break-lights flash after it hit her before speeding off.
Samoleski then armed himself with a rifle and engaged police in a 15-hour standoff.
Judge Stan Loewen said he took all that into consideration when determining a sentence for Samoleski.
He also took into account Samoleski’s criminal record and what he felt was a lack of remorse.
He also said it was a mystery to him how Samoleski came to be employed by Saskatchewan’s correctional system.
In all Samoleski had racked up 12 convictims between 1984 and 2001.
These included trafficking drugs, impaired driving, carrying weapons for the purpose of committing an offence, uttering threats and others.
Speaking outside the courthouse, the victim’s aunt, Jocelyn Schraeder, said the family was relieved to have the trial behind them:
“It’s never going to bring her back and we know that and nothing he could have gotten could have reflected anything close to what we lost and we’re glad this part is over and we can finish — or start to heal.”
The crown prosecutor in the case, John Morrall says Samoleski will now head to the penitentiary:
“Yeah this accused was a guard at the correctional centre so I’m not sure what the penitentiary will eventually do with him or put him given the obvious security risks.”
In addition to the jail sentence Samoleski was also handed a three-year ban on driving.