Steen skates on charges

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This article was published 12/10/2016 (2954 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba justice officials quietly dropped all criminal charges against former NHL star and Winnipeg city councillor Thomas Steen, the Free Press has learned.

Court records show the Crown entered a stay of proceedings on two counts of assault and one count of uttering threats on June 20. In an unusual move, the matter didn’t appear on the court schedule. It was done as an administrative move outside of a courtroom.

“Following a review of all the circumstances, the Crown determined that a stay of proceedings was the appropriate course of action,” a spokeswoman for the Manitoba Prosecutions Service said Wednesday.

No explanation was provided.

When charges are stayed — especially in high-profile prosecutions — the Crown will often provide reasons on the record in court. In the past, the Crown has cited factors such as a complainant or key witness being unavailable or stories changing and conflicting.

Phone and email requests for comment from Steen, 56, were not returned Wednesday.

Steen, who will be playing in next weekend’s Heritage Classic alumni game, was arrested following a domestic incident at a city restaurant on May 1, 2014. Sources told the Free Press Steen got involved in an argument with a woman while at the Boston Pizza location on McPhillips Street. The woman later contacted police, saying she had been assaulted. A source said it was alleged Steen punched her head.

Police launched a brief investigation and charges were authorized against Steen, who turned himself in to police days later. He was released on conditions, including having no contact with the woman, who wasn’t seriously injured.

Steen was rearrested in July 2014 — and spent a night in jail — after being accused of breaching the court order by contacting the woman. He was picked up by police on a Friday night and released by a magistrate the following morning.

The incident occurred while Steen was a city councillor for the Elmwood-East Kildonan ward. Following his initial arrest, Steen informed city council he was taking an indefinite leave to deal with “a personal and private issue.”

“Dear council colleagues: In response to allegations in recent media reports I would like to advise you that I will be taking some time to deal with a private personal matter,” Steen wrote in an emailed statement to other members of council.

He returned to work days later, saying he never intended it to be a long-term or formal absence.

“I have not taken a leave of absence from my duties as councillor and the various roles and functions that I perform as city councillor and have returned to my duties,” Steen stated in an email to media outlets.

Steen was prohibited from attending meetings of the city’s police board. Regulations prohibit any police board member being investigated by police from attending meetings or participating in board business.

Steen was elected to council in October 2010. His lost re-election in October 2014 when he was defeated by Jason Schreyer by more than 2,000 votes.

In the 2008 federal election, he unsuccessfully ran for the Conservative party in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood-Transcona.

Before entering politics, Steen had a successful professional hockey career that included 14 seasons with the Winnipeg Jets. Steen will play in the Heritage Classic alumni game in Winnipeg Oct. 22 against a team of Edmonton Oilers legends led by Wayne Gretzky.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca