Vernon man arrested after found sleeping in stolen car to stay behind bars | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Vernon News

Vernon man arrested after found sleeping in stolen car to stay behind bars

Image Credit: PEXELS

A Vernon man who was discovered passed out in the driver's seat of a stolen BMW and had to be tasered twice before being arrested was sentenced today in a Vernon courtroom.

Following the June 26, 2019 incident, Kody Storm Perrault was charged with resisting arrest, possessing a prohibited weapon and other weapons-related charges. He pled guilty today, Nov. 6, to two of those charges.

In a joint submission, Crown lawyer Brock Bellrichard and defence counsel Julian van der Walle asked for a four-month sentence, which with time served in custody would allow for Perrault's immediate release.

However, Perrault also has three outstanding charges for drug trafficking, which stem from the same incident, and will remain in custody as those charges proceed through the court system.

Bellrichard told the court how a member of the public had called 911 after seeing Perrault asleep behind the wheel of a parked BMW at 8 a.m. in the 3900 block of 27 Street Vernon. Police arrived at the scene and recognized Perrault. Officers also noticed three knives on the floor of the vehicle near his feet.

Officers attempted to arrest Perrault who then put the vehicle into drive in an attempt to flee. Realizing the vehicle had not started he then attempted to start the car as an officer attempted to grab the car keys.

Perrault was then tasered by police as he reached down in the vehicle, as they were under the suspicion he may be going to grab one of the knives.

He then left the vehicle and began to run away.

"The taser had no effect on Mr. Perrault," Bellrichard told the courtroom.

Officers followed on foot and caught up with Perrault after he had "jumped a number of fences."

He was tasered again, arrested and brought into custody.

Perrault was found to have a five-inch button-operated switchblade on him - which is a prohibited weapon - along with two other weapons and various quantities of drugs.

The court heard he has a lengthy criminal record going back to 2008 when he was a teenager. The majority of charges related to theft, although Perrault had done jail time for assault causing bodily harm.

van der Walle told the court Perrault had been "in and out" of jail his entire life and had been using heroin since he was 14 years old.

"He has a bad criminal record, there's no doubt it," van der Walle said. "But it does have a silver lining."

van der Walle pointed out how in 2017 Perrault had gone to a live-in treatment centre and stayed clean and crime-free for some time.

However, he ultimately started using heroin again.

Perrault pled guilty to possessing an unauthorized weapon and resisting arrest. The remaining charges were stayed by the Crown.

"In the circumstances, this sentence is within the guidelines, so I accept it," Judge Mark Takahashi said.

Perrault remains in custody and is scheduled for a bail hearing regarding the drug trafficking charges Nov. 13.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Ben Bulmer or call (250) 309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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