(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

A Vernon judge decided not to send a woman caught selling potentially deadly drugs fentanyl and carfentanil to jail so they could continue on their path of rehabilitation.

Speaking at the Vernon courthouse today, Aug. 31, B.C. Provincial Court Judge Richard Hewson said sending Kristen Doreen Renz to jail wasn't the route to take.

"By this point in time there is hardly anybody in the community that doesn't know somebody who has died after overdosing, I certainly do," the judge said. "However, a sentence imposed on Ms. Renz has to consider all the objectives of sentencing, and one of those objectives is rehabilitation."

The court heard how in March 2021, Renz had been under surveillance from Vernon RCMP who noticed her vehicle was following a pattern that suggested drug dealing – people were constantly getting in and out of the vehicle.

Renz was eventually pulled over by police who found 59 packages containing a mixture of fentanyl and carfentanil, totalling 8.8 grams. She also had $980 cash and a cell phone containing multiple messages from people looking to buy drugs.

One of the messages was from her boyfriend, who was managing the drug dealing. The message said that although he loved her, he would fine her $20 for every call she missed.

The boyfriend's name and whether he was charged was not mentioned in court.

The court heard Renz was at the very lowest level of drug dealers and had been dealing to support her own addictions.

Renz said she didn't realize there was carfentanil in the drugs. Carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl.

According to the B.C. government, 1,095 people died from the toxic drug supply in the first six months of this year – an average of six deaths per day. Illicit drug toxicity is now the leading cause of unnatural death in B.C. and is second only to cancer in terms of years of life lost.

Somewhat surprisingly in these cases, Renz did not have a prior criminal record.

Often with her head down in tears, Renz sat in the courtroom next to her mother, who often put her arm around her.

Choking back tears, Renz read an apology to the judge.

"I am very sorry... and I am remorseful and I do take responsibility for my actions and the danger that I caused the community," she said.

The court heard Renz was the victim of two highly traumatic events when she was a teenager and had started using drugs shortly afterwards. The court wasn't told what those events were.

Since her arrest, the 37-year-old had completed two stages of rehabilitation, was living with her mother, working, and repairing her relationship with her 16-year-old son who lived with his dad.

"I'm really trying to be a better person for myself, my family and my community," Renz told the judge.

In making his decision not to send Renz to jail, Judge Hewson said that this might send the wrong message to those who deal fentanyl and carfentanil, but putting her in jail would not be good for her or the community.

"Ms. Renz has done everything that could be asked of her in the sense of rehabilitating herself... if I was to send her to jail now I would risk pulling away all the progress that she's made," the judge said. "I don't think that's the right route to take."

Ultimately, judge Hewson sentenced her to an 18-month conditional sentence order to live in the community and with a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for one year.

Renz was also put under various other conditions and must not consume alcohol or drugs. Once her 18-months conditional sentence order is complete she will be on 12 month probation period.

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