Saskatoon sexual assault suspect a repeat offender with little respect for rules: Parole Board of Canada

Joey Yaremko's official criminal history begins with cosmetics.

Parole Board of Canada documents say the then-31-year-old took off from a department store just before Christmas 2013 with $62.49 worth of makeup and beauty supplies.

That theft kicked off a crime spree that ended four months later with Yaremko sent to a psychiatric hospital outside North Battleford. He escaped and then held Saskatoon Police at bay during a day-long standoff.

Now, two penitentiary sentences later, he's once again behind bars.

Yaremko, now 37, is accused of forcing his way into a 21-year-old Saskatoon woman's apartment on June 3 and sexually assaulting her over a 12-hour period.

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The four separate sets of documents that comprise Yaremko's history with the parole board follow a template.

First, there is the recitation of his criminal history: for instance, a Dec. 23, 2016, decision notes how his offending began at an early age and how his adult convictions include possessing property obtained by crime, fraud, failing to attend court, forgery, assaulting a police officer and robbery.

Second, there is commentary from the decision report's author: "You had two periods of statutory release from your first federal sentence during which you violated conditions and were unlawfully at large. You have demonstrated a disregard for court imposed sanctions and conditions of release."

And then, general conclusions: "In the Board's opinion this represents a high risk for general recidivism.… You are not considered to be engaged in your correctional plan."

Subsequent reports show that Yaremko had escalating problems inside and outside prison.

During his first stint in prison he was charged twice with diverting his medication. He refused to take programming to address violent tendencies.

Outside prison, he associated with "criminally oriented people" and  began abusing Dilaudid, Ritalin, morphine, hydromorphine and cocaine.

Yaremko was let out of prison on statutory release in March 2018. That release was suspended within a month when he began missing appointments with parole officers.  

But he was released in July.

"The Board is satisfied that, while you did not follow through with taking your medications as required, your risk to the community, at that point, did not become undue."

Yaremko returns to Saskatoon provincial court July 25 on his latest charges.