Former Sask. Party MLA Greg Lawrence pleads guilty to assaulting wife

Former Saskatchewan Party MLA Greg Lawrence pleaded guilty Wednesday to assaulting his wife.

In January, the Moose Jaw Wakamow MLA resigned from the Saskatchewan Party caucus amid a police investigation into "historical complaints." He resigned the day before charges were laid and then sat as an independent until the 2024 election, in which he did not run again.

He was charged with assault and choking in January.

On Wednesday at Moose Jaw provincial court, Lawrence pleaded guilty to assault and the Crown withdrew the charge of choking.

The former MLA was given a conditional discharge and is now on probation for 12 months.

The discharge will become absolute, and Lawrence won't have a criminal record, if he abides by court conditions. The conditions include Lawrence not making contact of any kind with the victim, keeping the peace and good behaviour.

According to court documents, Lawrence assaulted the victim in February 2019.

A Saskatchewan Party news release from September 2023 quotes Lawrence stating he would not be running in the 2024 election because of "serious injuries in a motorcycle accident last month."

Lawrence was the MLA for Moose Jaw Wakamow starting in 2011.

Support is available for anyone affected by intimate partner violence. In Saskatchewan, www.pathssk.org has listings of available services across the province. You can access support services and local resources in Canada by visiting this website. If your situation is urgent, please contact emergency services in your area.