‘Any big kid is going to play demolition derby’

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This article was published 31/01/2025 (249 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Aaron Yarema admits he had been using cocaine and methamphetamine before the destructive rampage that caused over $1 million in damages at Winnipeg’s water treatment plant in September 2023.

But Yarema doesn’t blame himself or drugs for his actions. That responsibility rests with the person who left the key in the ignition of the excavator Yarema chose to commandeer.

“Any big kid is going to play demolition derby,” Yarema told a probation officer in a report provided to court at a recent sentencing hearing.

Yarema 39, said he “got carried away.”

Yarema has pleaded guilty to mischief over $5,000, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and assaulting a police officer in connection to the incident.

RCMP were called to the RM of Springfield plant around 3 a.m. after staff reported a man had broken into the compound and was driving around in an excavator, smashing into construction vehicles, cars and buildings.

There was “no understandable logic” to Yarema’s actions, said Crown attorney Martyn Langstaff, who urged provincial court Judge Vincent Sinclair to sentence him to 32 months in prison. “It doesn’t really make any sense, it’s just a harm to the public that serves no purpose to Mr. Yarema.”

Police arrived to find Yarema driving in a “reckless manner,” trying to damage a building, Langstaff said.

“Police used a loudspeaker to tell him to stop and turn off the machine,” he said. “The operator did not comply and proceeded to put the excavator in forward motion, driving away from the officers.”

Two officers boarded the machine, managed to open the driver door and threatened to shock Yarema with a Taser if he did not turn off the ignition.

“At that point, Mr. Yarema did stop the vehicle,” Langstaff said.

Yarema spat on one of the officers before being forcefully removed from the excavator.

Yarema’s smash-up spree resulted in an estimated $435,000 in damages to several construction vehicles, $342,000 in damages to automobiles and $455,000 in building damages.

“Frankly, it was difficult to find many mischief cases where we see damages over $1 million,” Langstaff said.

Yarema “doesn’t seem to fully appreciate the harm and damage his actions have caused.”

A pre-sentence report says Yarema downplayed the role of drugs in his actions, saying he “does not consider his use to be problematic.”

Yarema reiterated that point during a brief address to the court.

“I keep my life in high regard,” he said. “I work for a living every day, even (when using drugs) which is why I don’t consider it a problem. It’s just on occasion.

“I love my city,” he said. “I regret what I did. I guess I just got carried away.”

Defence lawyer Crystal Antila urged Sinclair to sentence Yarema, a first-time offender, to no more than 18 months in custody, arguing Sinclair should not be unduly swayed by the high price tag attached to the mischief charge.

“That is the only truly aggravating factor here — the amount of damage,” Antila said. “If it was a small amount of damage, (Yarema) wouldn’t even be looking at custody.”

Langstaff said the city is asking for “some” restitution, “but realistically, I don’t expect that Mr. Yarema will be able to pay this amount back… and there will be a significant cost to the taxpayer.”

Yarema pleaded guilty to an additional charge of assaulting a police officer, for which the Crown is seeking a sentence of three months.

Court heard Yarema was in custody on unrelated charges in February 2023 when he spat on a police officer.

Yarema is expected to be sentenced later this month.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca