Taber resident placed on house arrest over feud
A bit of bad blood between two Taber men has left one of the men with lasting injuries following an incident more than two years ago.
A feud of sorts between Bobby Aubie and Sasha Sajinovic had begun a few years earlier, and Aubie was found guilty in April 2019 of assault causing bodily harm against Sajinovic.
The two men were subsequently involved in an ongoing civil dispute at the time of an incident Dec. 22, 2021 when Aubie was driving his vehicle on a slippery, ice-covered road in a residential area in Taber and saw the other man outside his home working on a vehicle with his father.
As Aubie, 50, drove closer he revved his engine, which spun his rear wheels causing him to lose control of his vehicle and drive into Sajinovic, pinning him between the two vehicles until the force of the crash threw him behind his own vehicle.
“Mr. Aubie, likely in a panic, took off,” leaving bits of his vehicle behind, Crown Prosecutor Clayton Giles described Thursday in Lethbridge court of justice, where Aubie pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
Sajinovic sustained injuries to his pelvis, left kidney, ribs, left eye and left shoulder. He also suffered a hemothorax, which is the accumulation of blood between the lungs and rib cage.
Giles noted that the victim’s kidney has not recovered and he still experiences “severe” pelvic pain, resulting in significant functional limitations.
“He…suffers from significant and life-altering injuries as a result of this collision that came about as a result of that negligent act, spinning of the wheels and roaring of the engine,” Giles said.
Giles added, however, the Crown could not prove the collision was intentional, and he, along with Lethbridge lawyer Greg White, recommended the judge hand Aubie a conditional sentence order (CSO) of two years less a day, plus one year probation.
White pointed out his client was scheduled to stand trial next month, and the main issue for trial was to determine “what Mr. Aubie’s intention was in revving the engine and spinning the wheels on icy roads, which led to him sliding across the road and hitting the victim.”
White said he and Crown met in the middle and agreed on a resolution they believe benefits both men in the long run.
As part of his conditional sentence, Aubie will be under house arrest for 12 months, followed by 12 months of curfew between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. He must adhere to numerous conditions of his CSO and probation, including abstain from consuming alcohol and drugs and avoiding all contact with the other man. The judge also prohibited Aubie from driving for three years, and noted the province will suspend his licence for five years.
“The driving prohibition is gonna cause some problems with his employment,” White added. “He’s told me that he currently lives in Taber and his employment is in Lethbridge, and so he’s gonna have to probably move his residence, but that just could be one of the consequences of what’s happening here today.”
“I’m very sorry,” Aubie simply said when given an opportunity to comment.