A Prince George provincial court judge said a father’s spontaneous attempt to resolve his son’s unpaid bar bill was a minor offence, except for causing danger to a Prince George RCMP officer.
Lester Michael Chingee, 69, pleaded guilty On Friday, Feb. 28 to wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer during the Aug. 5, 2023 incident. Judge David Simpkin gave Chingee a conditional discharge and ordered him to serve 12 months probation and perform 10 hours of community service work.
Court heard that a Prince George RCMP officer came to Chingee’s Heritage residence after an employee of Moxie’s reported that a patron who had been drinking in the establishment left without paying his bill. The employee provided the licence plate number for a vehicle registered to Chingee.
Chingee told the officer that it was his son who had been driving the Honda Civic.
As the officer was investigating, Chingee went into the house and returned with the car keys.
“Unfortunately, you end up getting in the vehicle and trying to reverse off your property and take the vehicle away, despite the officer — who was still in the execution of his duty — telling you not to do that.” Simpkin said.
While Chingee appeared to be “trying to do the right thing and going back to Moxie’s, trying to pay the bill,” he disobeyed the officer, who needed the vehicle for his investigation.
Simpkin adopted the joint sentencing proposal from Crown and defence lawyers, which noted Chingee had nothing on his criminal record except a one-year driving ban in 2008 for failing or refusing to provide a sample. That, and Chingee’s Indigenous background, were enough for Simpkin to conclude the sentence was appropriate.
Chingee’s son, Clayton Michael Chingee, 31, was sentenced in December to a conditional discharge, 12 months probation, 12 months driving ban and $500 fine. He pleaded guilty to driving while prohibited/licence suspended, wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer and theft under $5,000.
A person sentenced to a conditional discharge will have no criminal record after complying with a judge’s orders.
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