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December 21, 2016 - 9:00 PM
PENTICTON - A man whose crimes were described by a Penticton judge as “a drug-fuelled rampage” will spend a year behind bars.
Shane Douglas Pope, 25, pleaded guilty to a number of charges in Penticton court today, Dec. 21, including uttering threats, possession of stolen property over $5,000, possession of a controlled substance, breach of probation for failure to report and failure to maintain curfew and possession of break and enter tools.
Crown Prosecutor Nashina Devji told court Pope threatened a neighbour on Mar. 23 of this year, yelling at him and telling him he "was dead” before striking the neighbour’s car as he drove off. A summons was issued for Pope as a result of the neighbour’s complaint to police.
On Oct. 24, an Osoyoos police officer on patrol saw a black Volvo station wagon on the streets of Osoyoos. A check of the vehicle’s plates indicated the vehicle to be stolen, and the officer pulled in behind Pope to prevent his flight.
Pope was arrested and a search turned up dime bags containing methamphetamine and marijuana, in addition to a number of assorted items, including an iPad, that Pope later admitted to having stolen during a number of vehicle thefts in Penticton. Other items in the vehicle included a Rolex watch, a Saturn key fob, GMC key fobs, Canadian Tire money, CDs, and a stolen license plate.
Pope was arrested and remained in custody until making bail, with conditions to report and a curfew to obey, both of which were breached soon after his release.
On Nov. 30, Penticton RCMP were dispatched to a call of a suspicious man slumped behind the wheel of a Mercedes SUV in a city parking lot. Police arrived to find Pope in the driver’s seat with his seat belt on. It was ascertained the vehicle had been reported stolen from a Summerland address two hours earlier.
Pope was arrested and both he and the vehicle were searched. Police turned up backpacks containing break and entry tools, a meth pipe and scales, and identification belonging to another man. He has been in custody ever since.
Calling his behaviour “an absolute disregard for conditions,” Devji called for one year in jail and 18 months probation for his offences. She also noted Pope’s “terrible criminal record” of 10 beaches and 10 property offences since 2013.
Defence lawyer Robert Maxwell called his client’s behaviour the actions of someone who was “drug sick,” adding his client had been cooperative with police and the justice system in attempting to deal with all his files with a minimum of court time.
He noted his client had been clean for awhile prior to getting back into heroin and methamphetamine, asking Judge Sinclair to consider a nine month sentence with probation.
“I’m 100 per cent sure I can’t do this anymore,” Pope said of his drug-addled lifestyle.
“I hope you are," Judge Sinclair replied. "Now you are going to pay your debt to society.”
Calling his crimes those of a “drug-fuelled rampage,” Judge Sinclair sentenced Pope to one year in jail and 18 months’ probation.
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