Having too much to drink one Thursday morning two years ago has bought one Sturgeon County man a month-and-a-half’s worth of jail time.
Court heard that on Jan. 26, 2012, RCMP were called to a parking lot where a man – later identified as Dallas Bradley Majeau – had gotten into his truck after a job interview around 11 a.m., but was heavily intoxicated. Majeau provided two breath samples reading 330 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, a measurement Burgess described as being the second highest blood alcohol level he’s ever seen.
“You could be dead,” said Burgess. The legal blood alcohol limit is 80 milligrams.
Court heard the 45-year-old had an impaired driving conviction from 2007 where he received a one-year driving prohibition and hefty fine. He was charged a second time in 2008 for driving with a disqualified licence and received another fine.
Majeau pleaded guilty to care and control of a motor vehicle while impaired.
The Crown and Majeau’s lawyer agreed on a 14-day jail sentence but Burgess thought the sentence wouldn’t be “sending a right message to the community.”
“Impaired driving in our society is a problem. People don’t appear to be getting that,” stated Burgess, adding he was originally inclined to hand down a 90-day jail term because of the high blood alcohol level and previous charges.
After taking into account Majeau’s efforts to deal with his alcohol addiction by attending counselling and booking himself into rehab twice since the offence, Judge Leo Burgess decided on a sentence of 45 days in jail to be served intermittently on weekends as well as a $50 victim fine surcharge.
Going on a shopping spree at local grocery stores and a gas station, without spending a cent of his own money, has netted one St. Albert man six months behind bars.
Kenneth Michael Turko appeared in St. Albert court on Monday via closed-circuit television (CCTV) from the Edmonton Remand Centre and pleaded guilty to six counts of theft under $5,000 and one count of failure to attend court.
On Jan. 8, Turko was caught on video surveillance at the Save-On Foods, North on St. Albert Trail, wheeling a cart full of $300 to $400 worth of groceries out of the store without paying. That same day, licence plate identification pinned him at a Petro Canada gas station filling up without paying up.
About a month later, Turko was again spotted at a Save-On Foods, this time the south location on St. Albert Trail, leaving the store with more than $1,000 worth of groceries. A further surveillance search confirmed he had stolen food on another occasion.
In an agreed statement of facts, Turko also admitted to stealing a total of three bottles of liquor on two separate occasions from a Sobeys Spirits liquor store.
Turko has been in jail since Mar. 28 after he failed to show up for his court date.
Judge Bruce Garriock handed down a six-month jail sentence, of which Turko has served almost half.
Three swings from an aluminum baseball bat is only part of the punishment a Morinville man has received for committing property mischief and theft.
Andrew Daniel Volk appeared in St. Albert court via CCTV from the Edmonton Remand Centre and pleaded guilty to two counts of mischief – property and two counts of theft under $5,000.
The charges stemmed from an incident in February where Volk snuck into two household garages, stole items including a pair of pliers, a flashlight and tire chains, and damaged two vehicles in the process.
Court heard RCMP eventually found Volk hiding under a deck. A property owner chased the 25-year-old across the street swinging a baseball bat after he found Volk rifling through his vehicle. Police notes indicated Volk was under the influence of alcohol when he committed the offences.
Garriock acknowledged Volk had a criminal history of property related offenses and sentenced him to 10 months in jail with one-year probation. He will also have to pay $750 in restitution to the two property owners whose vehicles he damaged.
Volk has six months left to serve.
Possessing and dealing cocaine has landed one St. Albert man two years house arrest.
Court heard that RCMP witnessed a drug deal in the parking lot of a Mr. Lube in June 2012. Police followed the driver of a PT Cruiser – who was later identified as Matthew D. Carberry – and saw him perform drug deals on three separate occasions then drive out to a rural location in St. Albert to hide the drug stash in a ditch.
When officers apprehended Carberry, they found 37.5 grams of cocaine with a street value of $3,700 under the front seats of his car. They also found three cellphones and a plastic toy handgun.
In police notes, Carberry said the incident was a “one-time thing.” He pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with the purpose of trafficking.
The 24-year-old was given a two-year conditional sentence with a $50 victim fine surcharge.
