Brooks woman gets jail time plus probation for trafficking cocaine

A Brooks woman was sentenced to a year in jail and two years of probation for trafficking cocaine and crack cocaine.

Nyiabol Ruach pled guilty to four counts of trafficking that stem from an RCMP investigation in Brooks, where police were attempting to target a higher-up dealer.

Agreed statement of facts show how police connected with Ruach during this investigation, and on four occasions made purchases from her — 0.74 grams of cocaine, 0.7 grams of crack cocaine, 0.6 grams of cocaine and 2.1 grams of crack cocaine during the fourth sale.

Ruach also pled guilty to separate provincial charges, including uttering threats, breaching a no-contact and shoplifting from a liquor store — adding 85 days to her oneyear sentence.

In outlining the reasoning behind the joint submission, defense counsel said he believes a contributing factor to his client’s actions is most likely PTSD, stemming from her time in South Sudan.

The woman came to Canada as a refugee years ago, and now has Canadian citizenship.

Her criminality is “fairly recent,” said counsel, with her selling drugs to feed her addiction, not due to greed.

Charges were originally set to go to trial but counsel noted the woman showed up late and so highly intoxicated on the day of the trial, she had to be taken into custody.

“This woman absolutely needs help,” said counsel, adding that the sentence is designed to get her “back on track.”

The two-year probation order includes psychiatric counselling, as well as counselling for substance abuse, anger management and life skills. She will also be on a curfew for the first six months.

Due to time spent already in custody, she was granted 120 days credit toward her sentence.