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Proden pleads guilty to dangerous driving

By: Aldo Santin

Posted: 05/21/2010 12:30 PM | Comments: 0 (including replies) | Updates

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Heath Proden with his girlfriend, Kristin Sharrock. (SUBMITTED PHOTO / ARCHIVES)

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SELKIRK — Heath Proden pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving and the charge of uttering threats was stayed in court this morning.

Sentencing has been put over to Sept. 3 for the charge stemming from an incident last November on McPhillips Street.

Proden became involved in an incident on the night of Nov. 7 -- four days before he left for Australia -- where he was accused of ramming a small car from behind with his van on McPhillips Street, threatening the 21-year-old East Kildonan resident driving the car and then driving off. The East Kildonan man followed the suspect out of Winnipeg on Highway 8, noted the licence number and called 911.

In March, Proden was initially hospitalized with head injuries and, when released, he stayed with his Australian girlfriend, Kristin Sharrock. The two boys who attacked him, both now aged 16, have been in custody since their arrest.

North Sydney Police allege the two boys attacked Proden while he waited for a train, following a Doc Walker concert, that would take him back to the community where his girlfriend was living.

Proden is a boyhood friend of the members of Doc Walker, all of whom grew up in Portage la Prairie.

It's alleged the two boys stomped on Proden, beat him with a metal bar and tried to steal his wheelchair and personal belongings. Police said the attack was unprovoked.

A security video captured the attack, revealing the attackers returned several times to continue the assault.

Proden, 35, was accompanied in court by Sharrock.

Proden was dressed casually in a blue dress shirt and dark slacks and bore no signs of the brutal beating he suffered in March while in Sydney, Australia.

Following his appearance, he wheeled out of the courtroom with his girlfriend and lawyer. The three talked briefly on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse.

Proden said he didn't want to talk about his case or the attack in Australia.

"No, you wouldn't know," I had been attacked, Proden said. "If you want to tell people anything, tell them I'm doing fine and thanks for all the support."

Proden and his girlfriend then crossed the street to the parking lot where his specially adapted red van was parked. He climbed into the driver's seat, his girlfriend folded up his wheelchair and placed in the rear of the van and she got in and they drove off.

History

Updated on Friday, May 21, 2010 at 12:26 PM CDT: Added background

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