INNISFAIL - Town councillor Donnie Hill no longer has to answer in court to a charge of sexual assault.
The 29-year-old local businessman, who was elected in 2017 as Innisfail’s youngest ever town councillor, was told Monday, Aug. 9 that the charge, along with ones of forcible confinement, assault and criminal harassment, were withdrawn in Red Deer’s Court of Queen’s Bench.
Brian M. Shantz, the Crown prosecutor handling the Hill case, told The Albertan the evidence for the case was carefully reviewed before the decision was made to withdraw the charges.
“In prosecuting any individual, we are regularly reviewing the evidence to ensure that when a matter goes to trial we have a reasonable likelihood of conviction by proving beyond a reasonable doubt the allegations made against the charged person can be made out by the evidence,” said Shantz. “In withdrawing the charges, after extensive review we concluded the threshold could not be met at trial.”
Hill told The Albertan he “felt a sigh of relief” that closure to the case had come.
“And that I could move on with my life and I didn’t have to wait for the process to keep on taking its place,” said Hill. “It was a sigh of relief that it was finally going to be concluded and we can have some closure.
Hill has been facing the serious criminal charges since Oct. 23, 2020. His Court of Queen’s Bench judge and jury trial in Red Deer was scheduled for Jan. 17 to 21 in 2022.
“To be very clear I never stepped in a courtroom or a courthouse for any of this,” said Hill. “It was dismissed prior to any preliminary hearing. There were no meetings. There was no nothing. I was given my court date, and we had pleaded not guilty.”
Since the start of his legal challenges, Hill carried on with his business and town council responsibilities, which were reduced following a Council Code of Conduct Bylaw investigation.
Last October, Hill successfully advanced a motion to council to have an external consultant retained to conduct an investigation under the bylaw.
The probe, conducted by Edmonton-based SAGE Analytics Inc., concluded in March that Hill breached a section of the bylaw with his legal issues, and while allegations were unproven, had a negative impact on the reputation of council and the community.
He was removed from all council committee work until legal proceedings involving his private affairs were concluded. He then shocked council on March 8 that he was paying the town the $3,950 cost of the investigation. Hill maintains he was always open to everyone about his legal challenges, and carried on with faith it would conclude in his favour.
“In my opinion it was never an elephant in the room,” said Hill of his openness with fellow council members and others. “I was very vulnerable. I was honest with council. I was honest with customers through the whole process. The truth prevails, as well as being honest. Honesty goes a long way as well.”
And now that the criminal charges have been withdrawn, he just wants to get on with his life, carry on normally without a year-long burden hanging over his head.
“For me the sky is the limit. I have been living a very conservative lifestyle. The last year has been very tough but I move forward with optimism, and wanting to be the best dad I can be, and be there for my kids,” said Hill, who has a 10-year-old daughter and four-year-old son. “And just let the important things in life take the place of this.”
And those important “things” include the community. Hill said he will run again in the Oct. 18 general municipal election, and wants to give back in the best way he knows how.
“And that is serving on council,” he said. “I look forward to representing the community of Innisfail for a second term.”
And finally, but importantly, he hopes the accuser at the centre of his legal case moves on as well. He wishes his accuser nothing but the best.
“I would honestly say that I wish for this person the very best of luck,” said Hill. “I truly feel this person is in a hard spot in life, and maybe needs some assistance but my formal answer is to wish for the best of luck, and that’s it.”
