Two years in jail for serial harasser
SENT THREATS, POWDER TO SCHOOLS
A33-year-old woman who sent dozens of threatening letters containing white powder and emailed bomb threats to 17 schools and businesses in and around Saskatoon was targeting an ex-boyfriend, his family and his ex-wife.
On Wednesday, Alexa Emerson pleaded guilty in Court of Queen’s Bench to 15 counts of public mischief, uttering threats and criminal harassment. The indictment encompasses 81 charges stemming from incidents in fall 2016 and spring 2017.
Justice Gerald Allbright accepted a joint submission from the Crown and defence, sentencing Emerson to two years less a day in jail, followed by a three-year probation order with conditions that include psychiatric treatment for mental health issues, a curfew, an eightmonth ban on electronic devices and no contact with dozens of victims.
Six of Emerson’s nine target victims provided statements to the court. They either received threats or were impersonated by Emerson within those threats, many of which were signed with the name of Emerson’s ex-boyfriend’s exwife.
“Being under constant attack from a complete stranger made me feel vulnerable and helpless,” the woman said, describing sleeping with a baseball bat out of fear Emerson would follow through on threats to kidnap the former couple’s son.
Court heard the harassment started in September 2016, when Emerson and her boyfriend broke up after five months of dating. The next month, the man and his family started receiving threatening messages and videos depicting Emerson being bound and beaten by a man purported to be the father of the ex-wife’s son. Investigators determined the video was fake.
In November 2016, Emerson hired two people over Kijiji to unknowingly deliver white powder packages to five businesses connected to Emerson and her victims. The letters impersonated the ex-wife.
Then in late March and early April 2017, while she was out on bail, Emerson sent out nine more letters containing white powder, impersonating her ex and his family and targeting elementary schools, the Saskatoon Cancer Centre and her former lawyer. She also sent six other threatening letters, signing them with the name of another ex-boyfriend, firefighter Brody Fehr.
Emerson was previously convicted of harassing Fehr in 2014, when she went by the name Amanda Totchek, in a case that closely resembled her recent convictions. Fehr told court Emerson is the most evil, manipulative person he’s ever known and her lack of remorse is “truly frightening.”
Emerson’s most recent ex told court he feels guilty about not realizing sooner that he was dating Totchek, who lied about changing her identity.
Eight schools and businesses received bomb threats in April 2017, after Emerson was taken back into custody.
Although the white powder was found to be nonhazardous, prosecutor Jennifer Claxton-Viczko said it caused widespread panic, evacuating buildings, disrupting classrooms and delaying cancer treatments. Many victims described having to take time off work and being in a constant state of paranoia.
Claxton-Viczko estimated the financial cost of closing down businesses and calling in the hazmat team at more than $200,000. However, she noted the Crown is not seeking restitution because “There is simply no ability for Ms. Emerson to pay that sort of money.”
Defence lawyer Patrick McDougall told court his client is dealing with mental health issues and needs to move on with her life.
“This can’t happen again,” he said, adding for that to happen, Emerson needs to get better.
Allbright said that’s what her probation conditions are meant to address. Probation is only available when combined with a jail sentence of less than two years.
BEING UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK FROM A COMPLETE STRANGER MADE ME FEEL VULNERABLE AND HELPLESS