Sentencing not on time for Regina lady convicted of $4.9M investor robbery

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Sentencing for Alena Pastuch, who pleaded in charge to stealing multi-millions from buyers within the early 2000s, has been postponed any other six weeks to permit the Regina lady to care for clinical considerations.

Pastuch used to be anticipated to look in Regina’s Court docket of King’s Bench on Monday to obtain a sentencing determination from Justice Catherine Dawson, however she used to be as an alternative granted an adjournment to overdue April to prepare clinical appointments and procure new criminal suggest.

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Pastuch used to be convicted of fraud, robbery and cash laundering in 2019 and sentenced to seven years in jail, however she effectively appealed each the conviction and sentence.

She used to be granted a brand new trial in 2022, which in the long run didn’t pass forward as Pastuch entered a in charge plea in 2024 to robbery over $5,000. The opposite two fees have been stayed on the time of her conviction in 2019.

Consistent with Crown prosecutors, Pastuch defrauded buyers in quite a lot of her tech corporations of an estimated $4.9 million between 2006 and 2013, spending the budget on private makes use of like playing, trip, buying groceries, a area acquire and extra.

Attorneys delivered a joint submission to the court docket in September, striking forth a advised sentence of three-and-a-half years in jail.

Pastuch used to be granted permission to look at Monday’s listening to by means of telephone as she used to be “experiencing clinical problems.” She asked an adjournment, searching for overtime to handle her fitness considerations sooner than an look for sentencing.

An meantime attorney, talking on her behalf Monday, mentioned Pastuch has “vital fitness problems” that require appointments sooner than Pastuch is also positioned in Saskatchewan’s reformatory machine.

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Crown prosecutor Dana Brule hostile the adjournment, reiterating that the settlement made in September used to be to set sentencing for this spring so Pastuch may “get her affairs so as,” together with health-related preparations.

He argued that Pastuch “has a historical past” of constructing clinical requests and discharging suggest, and that her clinical standing had now not been confirmed in court docket as no medical doctors testified to make sure claims made about her psychological and bodily fitness.

“This situation has long past on excessively lengthy,” he mentioned. “The Crown is of the view that is any other prolong tactic by way of Ms. Pastuch.”

Protection suggest Chris Murphy used to be pushed aside as Pastuch’s criminal illustration all over the complaints after a request to withdraw which cited “a breakdown within the solicitor-client dating” since September.

Pastuch didn’t dispute the withdrawal. Her meantime attorney mentioned Pastuch has “deeper considerations” that Murphy had now not supplied right kind illustration amid sentencing submissions, particularly that there used to be “now not sufficient attention” of her clinical wishes.

Murphy had represented Pastuch since 2020, appointed thru Felony Help Saskatchewan.

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The pass judgement on granted the adjournment, directing Pastuch to wait the brand new sentencing date in individual except given particular permissions to look just about.

— with recordsdata from Brandon More difficult, Barb Pacholik

lkurz@postmedia.com

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