Manitoba man sentenced to house arrest for keeping fishing tournament funds meant for Children's Hospital Foundation
A Manitoba man who pleaded guilty to keeping the funds raised from an ice-fishing fundraiser for the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba has been handed a sentence of 18 months house arrest.
Christian Lillyman and his partner were arrested and charged in December 2022 after more than $13,000 was not paid to the foundation.
According to details shared in court on Thursday, Lillyman had reached out to the foundation in January 2021, with the plan to host a fishing derby and the money raised would go to the foundation.
The Full Tilt Winter Walleye Tournament had 492 people register and more than $22,000 was collected in entry fees.
Once the tournament ended, more than $9,000 was awarded as prize money, with the remaining roughly $13,000 supposed to go to the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba – but the money never came.
"The people working at the foundation have a sincere desire to help sick kids and they trust the third-party donors that come to us who say they also want to help kids in hospital. So this breach of trust caused a sense of sadness, anger, and then significant worry for our staff members," said the president and CEO of the foundation Stefano Grande, in a victim impact statement shared with the court.
The court heard Lillyman had "good intentions" when he set out to raise the money, but fell on hard times during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was a self-employed painter and when COVID hit, his contracts dried up, the court heard.
Lillyman's lawyer said after the tournament, Lillyman would borrow money from the $13,000 pot with hopes of paying it back once he got new contracts for work, but it never happened.
Once Lillyman entered a guilty plea, the charges against his partner were stayed, the Crown said, noting Lillyman was "solely responsible."
Lillyman has since found a job and has already paid back $3,000 to the foundation, the court heard.
He said he regretted what he did and has grown from this experience.
As part of his sentence, Lillyman must make monthly payments to the foundation until the remaining $10,000 is paid off.
If he doesn't follow through, Judge Dale Schille warned jail time could be possible.
"If you don't make the payments, you will be back here to see me," Schille told Lillyman.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.