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Lethbridge Courthouse

Stolen snowmobile chase suspect sentenced to 32 months in prison

Dec 11, 2019 | 12:06 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A 35-year-old man originally charged with 18 offences involving a police chase and a stolen snowmobile, will spend the next 32 months in a federal prison.

Tyrone Emblau was found guilty on Monday Dec. 9, of resisting arrest, two counts of possession of stolen property over five-thousand dollars, evading police, and two counts of failure to comply, according to information from the Provincial Court Administration Contact Centre.

At the time of his arrest, Vulcan RCMP say he was wanted on 29 outstanding warrants from various jurisdictions.

Vulcan police say in March 2018, around 5:00 a.m., they responded to a rural property where a homeowner reported his snowmobile stolen. It was seen on a trailer heading towards Highway 529. The truck hauling the trailer was located and pulled over about an hour later.

RCMP arrested the driver of the truck and a physical confrontation took place. The suspect got away in the truck and nearly ran over an officer. Police took off after the suspect which became stuck in a snow-covered field. The driver then fled on the stolen snowmobile.

The Calgary Police Service HAWCS helicopter was called in to help find the snowmobile in a stand of trees, while an RCMP dog tracked the male, found him and stopped him.

Emblau’s Defense lawyer Andre Ouellette challenged the court, indicating that his client’s rights had been violated during and after the take down. The judge found that while bail was not given within a reasonable amount of time, it was a minor 20-minute breach.

Several other challenges including insufficient grounds for arrest, excessive force used against Emblau and his right to contact a lawyer within a timely fashion were dismissed.

Once Emblau serves his sentence he will be prohibited for driving for two years and faces a lifetime weapons prohibition.

The Crown was initially asking for a three to 3.5-year sentence, while the Defense hoped for a 2.5 to three-year sentence.