A local woman who wielded an axe and injured two people in Swift Current last spring has been sentenced.
Valerie Kibet entered a guilty plea in Swift Current Provincial Court on January 15 for four charges including three counts of assault with a weapon. She was handed a time-served jail sentence of just over eight months (credited for 389 days) by the judge.
Kibet was arrested on May 13, 2024, following her attack with an axe on two separate women, one of which was trying to help the first victim.
"It was a very significant offence by a person who hadn't had a criminal record at all until this point," Swift Current Crown Prosecutor Curtis Wiebe said. "I think the judge really took into account not only the gravity of the offence but also rehabilitation and what could be done in the future to prevent something like this from happening."
Wiebe believes the judge did a good job of balancing all the factors presented to determine the sentencing outcome.
She was released from jail last week and will now be on probation for three years. Kibet is also banned from weapons for 10 years.
"What we wanted to do is make sure that she is on conditions that would address mental health concerns going forward," he said. "So it's directed at that, as well as the safety of the community and the individuals who were involved as well."
Three members of southwestern Saskatchewan were honoured in the fall for their brave acts to help aid the initial victim; Nora McLearn, Chace Riley, and Danielle Armstrong.