Woman sentenced for assault with weapon

In the 1986 movie “Crocodile Dundee,” Mick Dundee is walking along a New York street with reporter Sue Charlton when they are approached by a mugger holding knife and demanding Dundee’s wallet. Charlton warms Dundee to do what he’s told, but the Australian says, “that’s not a knife,” then calmly pulls out a bigger knife from under his jacket and says, “that’s a knife.”

That’s the risk you take when pulling a knife on someone, a judge told a woman Thursday in Lethbridge provincial court.

Jewell Many Fingers had pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a weapon and one count of theft under $5,000, relating to an incident last summer in which she got into a fight with a couple of mall security officers, and pulled a knife on them.

Many Fingers was seen “stuffing clothes up her shirt” in a store in the Park Place mall July 20, but when a security officer approached the woman, she fled. The officer chased her, but stopped when Many fingers turned around and advanced toward the officer. Then Many Fingers took off again.

When the security guard, who had radioed for help, resumed the chase, a second guard had arrived and was struggling with the suspect. This time Many Fingers held a knife and swung it at the guards, who managed to take the woman to the ground, kick the knife away and call police.

Defence lawyer Vincent Guinan told court the mother of five children struggles with addictions. She is remorseful, however, and accepting responsibility for her actions. “It’s a tragic situation,” Guinan said. Judge J. Maher sentenced Many Fingers to five months in jail, and warned the woman that carrying a knife will only lead to trouble.

“You pull a knife, someone might pull a bigger knife,” he said.

In addition to her jail sentence, for which she was credited 24 days already spent in custody, Many Fingers was placed on probation for one year and ordered to stay away from the mall. She must also take counselling and treatment for substance abuse, avoid contact with the guards and not possess any weapons.