Far-right politician Patron in court on charges of assaulting women
REGINA The leader of a small, farright political party sat slouched in a courtroom at Regina provincial court on Monday morning as he waited to make an appearance on a pair of serious assault charges.
Stifling several yawns as he sat through numerous other matters, Travis M. Patron at last stood as his name was called, addressing the court in a soft voice as he requested time to put together a retainer for a lawyer.
Patron, the 28-year-old Canadian
Nationalist Party leader from Redvers, is facing three charges: aggravated assault, assault causing bodily harm, and breaching a probation order.
The assault allegations spring from the same date, Nov. 2, when he was accused of assaulting two women who declined his offer of rides home.
He requested 60 days to gather his retainer — an adjournment significantly longer than typically granted by the court, Judge Marylynne Beaton pointed out.
When asked by the judge what type of work he does, Patron responded, “political candidate,” and told the court he earns money doing that.
The Crown didn’t argue Patron’s request, noting his charges are “significant.”
He was granted an adjournment to Jan. 20.
Before leaving, he asked the court to amend a release condition pertaining to his curfew, putting his job forward — without further explanation — as the reason for the needed change and explaining the curfew is “causing me some problems.”
The Crown agreed to allow for an exception for employment purposes.
According to the Regina Police Service, police were called shortly before 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 2 to the 1900 block of Victoria Avenue for a report that two women, aged 33 and 43, had been assaulted. The women were taken to hospital for treatment.
Police said the women and a man had spoken earlier that evening. It’s alleged the man offered them rides home and that, when his offer was declined, the assaults occurred.
When contacted previously, Patron said he is in “total disagreement” with the charges.