A former Manitoba sheriff’s officer has been spared a criminal record for an off-duty assault of a B.C. trucker.

Wayne Mineault pleaded guilty to the 2009 incident which occurred at a business in Stony Mountain. He returned to court Thursday for sentencing, where Queen’s Bench Justice Brenda Keyser agreed with his request for a discharge. The Crown had been seeking a period of probation.

Mineault, 48, was acting in his other job as a broker for a local trucking firm and had arranged for a shipment from Washington state, court was told. He met the victim to unload the delivery, at which point the two men became involved in an argument over the method of payment.

Mineault also drew the ire of the trucker when he tried to go into the back of the man’s rig. The trucker told him to stay out, at which point Mineault flashed his sheriff’s badge and said "I’m a sheriff’s officer, I’ll do what I want to do."

The argument ended with Mineault shoving the man to the ground, causing a minor shoulder injury.

Defence lawyer Mike Cook said his client deeply regrets his conduct that day and has since resigned his post as a sheriff. Keyser said she was satisfied this was an isolated, out-of-character incident for Mineault.

"It’s apparent he’s embarrassed and genuinely remorseful for his actions," said Keyser. "In the grand scheme of things it’s a fairly minor offence."

www.mikeoncrime.com