Terry William Voshall appears in this 2019 photo.

Image Credit: FACEBOOK: Terry Voshall

At age 18, Penticton resident Terry William Voshall was given $30,000 from the Alberta First Nation where he was born.

But suffering from schizophrenia, fetal alcohol syndrome, ADHD, and having a low IQ, meant he was easily manipulated.

Within a month, all the money was gone.

"That's what made me like go against life. I don't know how to explain it, like it made me like go crazy," Voshall said.

The 26-year-old relayed the story today, Dec. 27, to BC Provincial Court Judge Shannon Keyes as he pleaded guilty to stealing a chocolate milk and breaking into a motel because he was cold and wanted somewhere to sleep.

Voshall is a familiar face at the Penticton law courts having been convicted multiple times for various petty crimes.

"(He) steals from stores over and over and over again," Crown prosecutor Ann Lerchs told the court, adding that the only times Voshall isn't committing crimes is when he's in prison.

In sentencing Voshall to jail several years ago a Judge once told him, "It's time for you to have a break, and it's time for Penticton to have a break from you."

At today's court appearance, Voshall was supposed to plead guilty to a handful of charges dating back to the summer.

However, getting a straight answer out of him proved to be difficult.

"I'm completely guilty," he said before then saying he didn't do it because he was on the other side of town.

The court heard how Voshall had been arrested after being caught shoplifting in Winners in June.

"Here’s the problem, you told me that you did do it and then you told me that you didn’t do it," Judge Keyes said.

"I was going to say that I did do it because I don't want to get anybody in trouble," Voshall replied.

After much back and forth, the Crown agreed to stay the charge and move on to the next one.

More vague answers followed and several breach of probation charges were also stayed.

One charge that did stick was from when Voshall smashed a window and broke into the Super 8 motel where police found him asleep on the couch soon afterwards.

"I was cold," he said.

The court also heard he stole chocolate milk and chips from Safeway and clothes from Winners on another occasion.

"When I run out of money... I steal," Voshall said. "I know it's wrong but what would you do if you were on the streets and… struggling."

Throughout the proceedings, Voshall frequently interrupted, giving the courtroom an insight into his cognitive difficulties.

"I don't know why I have to do so much goddamn time," he said at one point.

"I don't know what you guys are trying to turn me into," he said at another time.

“I struggle and shit, but … I’m not a bad person,” he told the court. 

The court heard how Voshall was born on the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation in Alberta and moved to Prince George as a child. His childhood was surrounded by substance abuse and he was physically abused. He moved to the Okanagan as a teenager and started smoking cannabis at 14. He later became addicted to illicit drugs. He moved to Penticton in 2018.

Since arriving in the city, he's been consistently in and out of jail and care facilities.

“When he is out of custody, he continues to offend and reoffend. He is a serial shoplifter,” the Crown told the court. "We don’t know what to do.”

Voshall was given housing, a support worker 20 to 40 hours a week, had support from Interior Health and a solid relationship with his probation officer.

“We've tried a lot of things,” Lerchs said.

She said he’d once been put in a housing facility for “difficult-to-manage” people but it didn’t work out.

“Mr. Voshall turned out to be just too difficult,” Lerchs said.

He spent some time at a treatment facility for people with complex addictions and mental health issues in the Lower Mainland, and had done very well, although the program was only short term.

The court heard how there were only two beds for the Interior Health Authority region at the facility and no space was available.

“There really isn't anything left for Mr. Voshall,” the Crown said.

Normally when Voshall is sentenced to jail the lawyers work out a plan for where he can go once released, however, it was different this time.

“We don’t know what to do,” Lerchs said. “Mr. Voshall is an individual who is completely falling through the cracks and somebody who deserves better.”

Judge Keyes sentenced Voshall to a year in jail which, accounting for time already served, means Voshall has another four and a half months behind bars.

After being released, he’ll be on probation for 18 months, but no formal plan was put in place as to what he would do.

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