A Stellarton man will spend the next four months serving house arrest after pleading guilty to theft-related charges that involved bank cards and an RCMP laptop computer.
Brandon Scott Holley, 22, was sentenced to a six-month conditional sentence order, that included house arrest, after guilty pleas entered to possession of bank cards, possession of an RCMP laptop, unlawful use of a credit card, theft of an RCMP padlock, theft of power tools, theft of a gym bag and prowling at night. Six additional charges were withdrawn by the Crown after the guilty pleas were entered.
Crown attorney Bill Gorman told Pictou provincial court during a sentencing hearing Wednesday that Holley and a co-accused had entered several vehicles on April 26, 2017, during and took many items including an RCMP laptop, keys and padlock they found in an unlocked, unmarked RCMP vehicle.
He said New Glasgow Regional Police were first alerted to the thefts that morning after a resident on west side New Glasgow called to report her purse missing from her home and unauthorized charges made on her debit and credit cards.
As police responded, a second call was received from an RCMP officer living in the area that several vehicles were entered, including an unmarked police vehicle sitting in his driveway.
Other residents in the area also reported missing items and some homeowners reported finding items strewn on their lawns and curbs that morning.
Gorman said New Glasgow Police tracked down the accused by following the trail of unauthorized charges from the victim’s bank cards at four local convenience or gas stores as well as a coffee shop. A clerk at one of the businesses was able to identify two men who used the cards and police obtained security camera footage that showed the men using a taxi service.
The taxi driver provided police with information that led to them first going to the home of the co-accused, who they say ran out the back of the residence before they could speak with him.
They located Holley a short time later and he confessed to police that he and a co-accused were filling up bags with items from unlocked vehicles.
The goods included tools and gym items as well as an RCMP laptop, keys and a padlock from an unlocked vehicle. He said they put the laptop under a tree in the neighbourhood but kept the keys, one of which was a handcuff key that Holley wore around his neck for short period of time before losing it.
Gorman said the laptop and other items were recovered at various locations in the town. The purse reported stolen was recovered by Pictou County Solid Waste after Holley said they had thrown it into a green bin.
The bank cards taken out of the purse were also found with Holley who told police that it was his co-accused who tried the unlocked door of a New Glasgow home and went inside. He said when the man returned he had a purse in his hand.
Holley was charged and released on conditions, including abstaining from alcohol. However, on May 27, 2017, he was a passenger in a vehicle that drove by police and he gave them the finger. Police stopped the vehicle and noticed after a brief conversation that Holley was showing signs of impairment. As a result he was charged with breaching a court order.
Gorman said Holley’s pre-sentence report is favourable. He said the young man has had his “fair share of tragedy” including the loss of a parent at a young age and heavy substance abuse in his teen years, but that he is showing progress as he matures.
Gorman said Holley is holding down two jobs and supporting his child both financially and emotionally. The Crown added that Holley was very co-operative with police during the investigation which saved all parties involved from going through a trial that would have involved many witnesses and evidence.
The Crown and defence presented a six-month conditional sentence recommendation to the court that was accepted by Judge Del Atwood who said random thefts such as this involve a high level of victim impact, particularly those involving the theft of bank cards.
He said card owners often have to take multiple steps to cancel their cards and track their transactions. If other property is stolen, it can be seized by police for long periods if a trial is expected, presenting an inconvenience to the property owners.
The judge acknowledged that Holley stayed out of trouble for a few years before hooking up with the co-accused that evening and, unlike his co-accused, who currently has a warrant out for his arrest, Holley showed up to court to take responsibility.
“You are holding down two jobs and taking family responsibilities seriously,” Atwood said. “You are moving towards good things which usually means you are moving away from things that aren’t good.”
Once the conditional sentence order is complete, Holley will serve 15 months’ probation. He must also pay victim surcharge fines of $100 for each offence for a total of $700.
