Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 3/3/2015 (2027 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The victim says he feared he was going to die after being chased by armed strangers.

Two Manitoba men say it was drunken stupidity -- not a sinister terror plot -- that led them to confront a frightened Winnipeg university student in the woods and trigger a bizarre series of events straight out of a Hollywood horror film.

Michael Shindruk, 34, and Kelly-Ross Gratton, 44, have pleaded guilty to several weapons-offences stemming from a high-profile June 2013 incident that made headlines across the country.

In exchange, the Crown dropped the most serious charges, including attempted murder, during a court appearance last year in Powerview, according to court records. The Free Press reviewed an audio transcript of the proceedings Monday.

"This is outrageous," provincial court Judge Tim Preston said upon hearing the facts. "That kind of behaviour is scary and dangerous."

'They were talking all kinds of gibberish. At one point they told him they had a dead hooker in the back of their truck' ‐ Crown attorney Liz Laite

The victim, a 24-year-old geology major from Winnipeg, spent several hellish hours believing he was running for his life through swamps and forest near Bissett, about 250 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. He previously spoke to the Free Press but doesn't want his name published because of ongoing safety concerns.

"I'm just glad I'm alive," the victim said days after the incident, while he was recovering from dozens of bug bites and cuts and scratches. "I was sitting in that bush thinking I was going to die."

The man had recently started a job working at a rock quarry near Bissett while he completed his studies in geology. He would travel from the city, work a few days at a time and then return home. This was just his third rotation, and he was sound asleep in his camper when he awoke to a strange sight just after midnight.

A vehicle pulled up, the bright lights shining in his camper, and two strangers got out. Their speech was slurred, their eyes bloodshot. And the two men were exhibiting bizarre behaviour, claiming they were "crystal-meth runners from Saskatoon" who were on the run from police.

"They were talking all kinds of gibberish. At one point they told him they had a dead hooker in the back of their truck," Crown attorney Liz Laite told court during the sentencing hearing for both accused. She said that admission led to a "ridiculous" police investigation that wasted resources.

That comment also prompted the victim to run into the woods, especially when he realized he had no cell reception to call for help. Moments later, he began hearing a series of gunshots he believed were aimed at him. The man described having several bullets whizz by his head.

At their sentencing hearing, both accused took a much different position, which was accepted by the Crown and led to the attempted murder charges being dropped.

"It was drunken stupidity. They said they were shooting at a skunk," Laite said. The two accused had spent the day drinking and fishing and apparently just wanted to find a spot to stop and urinate when they encountered the victim in the bush.

The man didn't know any of this, and spent hours hiding until he finally flagged down a vehicle on the highway near Bissett around 5 a.m.

Police quickly identified the two accused, who were well-known in the area for their drunken antics, and arrested them. Several firearms were seized from their property, including two that were not stored properly and formed the basis of the firearms charges. Shindruk admits he was the one shooting at the animal, while Gratton was the one talking tough to the victim. "It was out of character, it was taking a joke too far," Gratton told court.

"No kidding," said Preston.

Shindruk spent six months in custody before he was granted bail and told the judge that's "not a place I want to go back, for sure." He was given time served, along with a $3,000 fine and two-years of probation.

Gratton spent about a month behind bars following his arrest and was given two years of probation for his role in the incident.

"What happened on this particular night was inexcusable and regrettable," said defence lawyer Darren Sawchuk.

Both accused have previous criminal records and will now be subject to weapons bans as a result of their actions. Preston chided them for their "lackadaisical attitude" toward guns.

www.mikeoncrime.com