EDMONTON — A man who shot a sheriff during an escape attempt at a northwestern Alberta courthouse has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.
The prosecution and the defence jointly recommended the sentence for Clayton Ness, who pleaded guilty to several charges, including aggravated assault.
Ness tasted freedom briefly in February 2013 after he escaped from a holding cell in Whitecourt, where he was to make an appearance on drug charges.
Ness shot Sheriff Allan Buttree's finger off during a struggle in which Ness managed to get control of the officer's gun.
Panic ensued when a second inmate fired shots that went through a wall into the adjoining courtroom.
The prisoners escaped in the sheriffs' van, but were taken back into custody a short time later.
