Woman gets jail time for high-speed pursuit

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This article was published 28/08/2010 (5761 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Manitoba woman is headed to jail after speeding away from a police spot-check in a stolen car — and later mocking officers for failing to catch her during a dangerous highway chase.

“You suck at driving. I smoked you b ,” Shontele McKay boasted following her March 2008 arrest.

On Friday, McKay, 30, was sentenced to 16 months behind bars after pleading guilty to numerous charges including dangerous driving, motor vehicle flight from police and impaired driving. Provincial court Judge Lynn Stannard rejected McKay’s bid for a conditional sentence, which would have allowed her to remain free in the community.

“The alternative to custody would not serve the aims of justice. The protection of the public is paramount,” Stannard said.

McKay was also hit with a two-year driving ban, which will begin once she’s out of jail.

The incident began with a seemingly innocent afternoon traffic stop at the side of a highway near the Interlake community of Eriksdale. McKay was in the passenger seat, while her boyfriend was driving. As police began to question him outside the car about the theft of gas that happened earlier that day, McKay slipped into the driver’s seat, stepped on the pedal and fled.

Police realized the car was stolen and called in several officers from the Ashern and Stonewall detachments for assistance.

McKay reached speeds of 160 km/h on the highway while passing numerous vehicles. She also managed to avoid a spike belt that Mounties placed across the road.

Police briefly aborted the pursuit on two occasions because of potential danger to the public.

“This was early afternoon on a well-travelled highway. The possibility of carnage was much more significant,” said Stannard.

The chase ended when McKay clipped the side of a truck she was trying to pass, which sent her vehicle careening into a ditch. RCMP pulled her out of the car and immediately noticed strong signs of impairment, including slurred speech and bloodshot eyes.

“I kinda f -d up,” said McKay. “I freaked out, got scared and kept driving.” She admitted to drinking plenty of alcohol that day while on her home reserve in Fisher River, saying there was “nothing else to do.” But she refused a police demand for a blood-alcohol sample, meaning her exact level of impairment was never determined.

McKay has a lengthy criminal history including convictions for violence, property crime and breaching court orders. She had just finished an 18-month conditional sentence only days before the incident, court was told.

Defence lawyer Don Mokriy tried to keep his client out of jail by arguing she comes from a troubled aboriginal background, which has contributed to her ongoing battle with alcohol.

Stannard said she believes McKay can take positive steps towards addressing her issues while she’s in jail.

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