Sentencing adjourned in assault case

Sentencing for one of four men who broke into a home in Standoff and attacked several occupants three years ago has been adjourned until next month.

Thomas Medicine Crane was scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in Lethbridge provincial court, but it was adjourned to April 27 to allow the defence and Crown time to review a pre-sentence report.

A pre-sentence report provides the court with personal information and circumstances about an accused person to help the judge decide on a fit and proper sentence.

Medicine Crane is charged with three counts of assault with a weapon, and single counts of break and enter to commit robbery, assault, aggravated assault, being disguised while committing an indictable offence, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Medicine Crane, who appeared in court Wednesday by closed-circuit TV from the Lethbridge Correctional Centre, was among a group of men who broke into a Standoff home March 8, 2014 and assaulted several people inside. The three co-accused, Johnny Irvin Yellow Feet, Adam Healy and Randy Francis White Man Left, were previously handed significant jail sentences.

The men forced their way into the home, despite attempts to keep them out, and once inside attacked the occupants. One of the occupants was pushed into a corner, kicked and threatened with a hatchet, while another had a chair thrown at him and was threatened with a baseball bat.

When another man emerged from a bedroom, the assailants, including Medicine Crane who was armed with a folding pocket knife, jumped him.

The three victims managed to escape by jumping out a bedroom window, although one of them broke his wrist while fleeing.

Before leaving, Medicine Crane and his cohorts grabbed a box containing several large bottles of beer, but they didn’t get far and were caught by police as they ran from the home.

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