Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your Monday morning.
Sudbury man pleads guilty to child pornography charges
A man facing charges relating to child sexual abuse material was scheduled to go to trial in Sudbury court Jan. 5, but instead pleaded guilty to the charges before him. Raymond Stargratt, 37, was charged with access and possession of child pornography. These charges resulted from a 13-month investigation by the GSPS Internet Child Exploitation Unit, and also saw similar charges against three other people. At the time, Stargratt was charged with four counts of possessing child sexual abuse material and three counts of accessing child sexual abuse material. Though he was scheduled for his trial to begin Friday and last two days, Stargratt pleaded guilty to one count of each. A joint sentencing recommendation was submitted by Crown attorney Alayna Jay and defence representative Dennis Michel, meaning both sides agreed with what they called a rehabilitative plan. “Mr. Stargratt is pleading guilty and he is making a complete acceptance of responsibility,” said Jay. “I understand that through counsel Mr. Stargratt has expressed sincere remorse and a desire to seek programming and help. It is the Crown submission that this sentence is on the lower end of what is appropriate in the circumstances, but that it is still firmly within the range of appropriate sentences.”
Not-so-wintry winter leaves sports enthusiasts anxiously waiting
The current lack of snow and mostly unseasonably mild temperatures in Sudbury and other parts of Northeastern Ontario so far this winter is just a brief anomaly, according to Gerald Sanders, manager of the Sudbury Trail Plan, District 12 of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC). He said he is confident that the winter adventure season is on the way, sooner rather than later. Some light snow fell in Sudbury Saturday, Jan. 6. But the forecast for next week is actually predicting 15-20 centimetres of snow on Tuesday and 10 centimetres on Wednesday. "Basically, what we're doing is getting everything ready to go once the snow flies. And I mean, you know, Sudbury is kind of a hub of snowmobiling. So as soon as you know, people start seeing that the snow is flying and that type of thing, I'm sure the phones will start ringing." Sanders, born and raised in Sudbury, said it can be difficult to judge weather trends in Southern Ontario, but he is confident that lots of snow will be arriving soon in Northern Ontario. "But again, this year might be one of those oddball years where, you know, we're all sitting in the same boat, right? Chances are the North is usually colder than the South. So if there is any sort of precipitation, it is going to be in the form of snow," said Sanders. "And I anticipate if we get like 20 centimetres of snow, which is what they're calling for, roughly speaking in the next few weeks, I'm sure our phones will start ringing off the hook and lots of inquiries."
Inquest to probe Northern Ont. OPP shooting of man brandishing toy gun
An inquest will be held into the death of 42-year-old John-Paul George, who died in 2020 after being shot by Ontario Provincial Police officers at a New Liskeard home. The announcement was made Jan. 5 by Dr. Harry Voogjarv, Regional Supervising Coroner, North Region, Sudbury Office. The inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding George’s death. The jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing further deaths. Details regarding the date and location will be provided at a later date when the information becomes available. A spokesperson for the Office of the Chief Coroner confirmed to Sudbury.com that the George case has already previously been investigated by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU). You can view the full SIU file online here.
Police arrest man wanted in shovel attack
Greater Sudbury Police say they arrested a 30-year-old man Jan. 4 who was wanted on two outstanding arrest warrants for two separate assaults that took place on Dec. 1. The various charges against Chase Gour-Boyd include assault, assault with a weapon and forcible confinement. While Gour-Boyd has been taken into custody, police are still requesting assistance to identify two individuals they say are involved in one of the two assaults (see photos below). Anyone with information related to the identities of these two individuals is asked to contact police at 705-675-9171 or Crime Stoppers at 705-222-8477
