ATHABASCA – “Mr. Chalifoux, we meet again.”
Justice Gordon Putnam found himself in a familiar position during Athabasca’s Nov. 25 court sitting, after Terrance Chalifoux, 28, found his way back onto the court’s docket after a month-and-a-half long absence.
Chalifoux received a 70-day custodial sentence after he pleaded guilty to uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, failure to comply with an abstention order, and failure to comply with a weapons condition.
Court heard he had chased a roommate around with a butcher’s knife and been found drunk by RCMP officers in two separate incidents.
“It seems to be a bit of a revolving door and Mr. Chalifoux has taken steps and probation is connecting him with resources,” said Chalifoux’s defence lawyer Denise Lightning. “His addiction is very severe.”
On Oct. 28, Chalifoux was at the Athabasca County residence of William “Bill” Metcalfe, who has unofficially fostered him since he was a child. After picking up a large knife, he ran around the house, threatening to stab and kill Metcalfe, as well as another man living at the property.
After RCMP attended and found Chalifoux in his room, they found two bottles of alcohol in his possession. At the time, Chalifoux was on three separate probation orders, one of which included a clause that he abstain from alcohol.
“He has a terrible related criminal record. Mr. Chalifoux has been here very frequently over the last year, and he has severe Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD),” said Crown prosecutor Matthew Kerr. “He’s taking responsibility, he’s expressing remorse. I said this last time, but he’s serving a life sentence in increments.”
Because of his FASD, Chalifoux has a tough time understanding and following rules. At an earlier appearance, Lightning said his cognitive issues mean he’s much younger in terms of his mental abilities.
Chalifoux’s two Nov. 25 pleas mark his 17th and 18th convictions since December 2023, and he now has 42 convictions in the last 11 years.
A common pattern has emerged, court heard: Chalifoux is released from the Edmonton Remand Centre, and returns to Metcalfe’s residence, where he is welcomed back despite often being on a no-attendance condition as part of a probation order.
Metcalfe does his best to help Chalifoux, but inevitably the younger man ends up drinking — Lightning said he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and ADHD, and will self-medicate when his medication isn’t working — and Metcalfe has to call the RCMP after things turn violent Kerr said.
“I will give him credit, he’s been out of jail for longer than is customary since his last sentence, so things have improved somewhat,” said Kerr. “Generally, I do not like abstention conditions for people with addictions issues, but in this situation it allows Mr. Metcalfe and other members of the house to phone the police when Mr. Chalifoux is intoxicated, before it escalates to the point of violence or serious violence.”
Kerr and Lightning asked for different sentences — Kerr wanted a total of 70 days concurrent for the three offences, while Lightning asked for a 44-day “time served” sentence.
“I gave Mr. Chalifoux the benefit of the doubt last time, so I’m going to go with the 70 days here,” said Justice Putnam, who had given Chalifoux a 60-day sentence at his most recent appearance in August despite the Crown’s ask for 90 days.
Chalifoux was left with 24 days on his sentence, and Lightning said he plans on returning to an out-patient program that has been a big help.
“He wants the court to know that he hasn’t missed any of his reporting for probation, and that probation has set up counselling at the hospital for him to attend, which he wants to do.”
