Woman gets probation for assaulting her own mother

A woman accused of assaulting her mother was sentenced Wednesday to one year probation.

Raven Lee Harniman appeared in Medicine Hat Provincial Court in person, with the victim also in attendance.

Harniman pled guilty to assault and failure to comply with undertaking. Two additional charges of threats causing death and unlawful confinement were withdrawn.

According to the Crown, after getting into an argument with the victim on July 10, Harniman punched her in the head and face.

“I hate you. I want to kill you,” Harniman said to her mother, before continuing her assault.

The mother, who the Crown said was “fortunate to have not been injured severely,” ran to a neighbour’s house where she called the police.

As a condition of her bail, Harniman was prohibited from contacting her mother, but on July 11 messaged her three times about her own daughter, who was staying with the victim.

The Crown said Harniman has a criminal record from Ontario dating back to 2011, where she was convicted of assault, break-and-enter and other offences.

Harniman was represented by duty counsel, who cited as mitigating factors that she’s a single mother who moved to Medicine Hat from Ontario recently, that she’s starting a program at Medicine Hat College in September, and is hoping to work with Child and Family Services to reassume custody of her daughter.

“It’s unfortunate. It’s unpleasant, but Harniman’s previous offences didn’t involve violence,” added duty counsel.

He also requested Harniman be allowed to see her daughter through a third party.

As conditions of her probation, Harniman is forbidden from speaking to her mother, except through Child and Family Services, and must pursue psychological counseling and assessment, which will be arranged by her probation officer.