Two men who carjacked and beat Good Samaritans during crime spree sent to prison

In a night of bad decisions, it was the assault on two Good Samaritans who had stopped to help at a highway crash that drew the harshest words from the judge.

"The insane behaviour directed towards the two women that innocently stopped and offered their assistance is not only criminal but embarrassingly deplorable and worthy of society's condemnation," said Judge Brent Klause.

Klause accepted a jointsentencing submission in the case against 22-year-old Rocky Meechanceand 21-year-old Cody Wuttunee. The two men are both going to prison; Meechance for four years and six months, Wuttunee for three years and 11 months.

"The aggravating factors come close to disbelief," Klause said in court.

'A spree of offences'

Klause provided a narrative of the "spree of offences" before passing sentence.

It began with the theft of an expensive sport utility vehiclein North Battleford on the night of Dec. 19, 2015. Meechance and Wuttunee, along with four youth, drove to Saskatoon and used the hot wheels to drive into various farmyards and acreagesaround the city, stealing and damaging property.

• 2 carjackings and a long distance chase end with 5 in custody

"Ultimately they had an armed confrontation with one of the homeowners who fired a warning shot into the air when he observed an unknown vehicle in his yard," Klause said.

Shortly after, they rolled the SUV. It ended up destroyed in a ditch, on its roof, with the airbags deployed.

The Good Samaritans

Klause said two women driving by saw the wreck and stopped, "as people most often do in Saskatchewan when they see a fellow citizen in need of help."

They were confronted by the six joyriders, had a gun pointed in their faces and were variously kicked, pushed and assaulted, resulting in a concussion and cracked ribs.

Then they had their vehicle stolen and were left at the scene.

They managed to call police, who soon spotted the vehicle in Saskatoon.

The chase was on.

Saskatoon to Battleford

Klause said officers pursued the stolen vehicleacross bridges and down thoroughfares in the city, with speeds exceeding 120 kilometres per hour.

The stolen auto went through four-way stops, red lights and police spike belts.

It eventually left the city headed north to Battleford on Highway 16. On that roadway, itsspeeds exceeded 200 km/h.

It finally stopped at a Battleford Husky station, where the occupants took off on foot. They were all arrested shortly after.

A choice

Klause accepted the joint prosecution-defence recommendation for sentence.

Then he spoke directly to Meechance and Wuttunee.

"Gentlemen, there are two ways to emerge from a federal sentence served in a federal facility. One is to be informed, reformed and committed to participating in a meaningful life on the outside in your First Nations community or the community at large," he said.

"The second is to emerge as a gang member, tattooed and with absolutely no future but more trouble with thelaw."

Neither man spoke when asked by Klauseif they had anything to say.