“Wheels coming off in midlife” was how one St. Albert man described his recent dealings with the law.
Michael Anthony Moss appeared in St. Albert court on Monday via closed-circuit television (CCTV) from the Edmonton Remand Centre.
He pleaded guilty to one count of possession of stolen property over $5,000, two counts of possession of stolen property less than $5,000 and two counts of breaching his recognizance.
The stolen property charges stemmed from incidents beginning in January 2012 when St. Albert RCMP determined that Moss was using a stolen validation tag on a licence plate for a white Pontiac Grand-Am. Later that month, RCMP found that the licence plate on another vehicle belonging to Moss, a red Subaru Legacy, had a stolen licence plate, resulting in the second stolen property charge under $5,000.
RCMP visited Moss a third time at the end of February due to another stolen licence plate mounted on the back of the Subaru.
On Dec. 19, 2012, RCMP responded to a call where a truck was driving the wrong way on Hebert Road around 9 p.m. It was later determined that the driver, identified as Moss, had taken the vehicle for a test drive earlier that day and never returned it. This resulted in Moss being charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000.
Court heard Moss was going through a divorce at the time and that his behaviour was “very much out of character.”
The 45-year-old had no prior criminal record.
“This is a period in my life I’m not proud of,” Moss told the court.
He received a total sentence of 112 days in prison, with credit for time served.
A 19-year-old St. Albert man has been released after serving more than one-month behind bars for petty crimes and several breaches of his recognizance.
Joshua Aaron Fletcher appeared via CCTV from the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre and pleaded guilty to property mischief, causing disturbance, failure to attend court and five counts of breaching the conditions of his recognizance.
The mischief charge was related to an incident on Jan. 13, 2012, when St. Albert RCMP responded to a call at the McDonald’s on St. Albert Trail regarding three men – one of whom was Fletcher – causing a commotion in the fast-food restaurant. By the time officers arrived, the group of men had broken a window and fled across the street.
Fletcher met with the police again about a month later in February 2012 when he and a group of male friends were horsing around in the pool at Servus Credit Union Place. When asked to stop yelling and disturbing other customers, the men made an offensive hand gesture towards the lifeguard.
Police removed the group from the facility and Fletcher was charged with causing a disturbance in a public place.
Court heard Fletcher failed to abide by the conditions of his recognizance several times including not reporting to RCMP when told to do so, breaching a no-contact condition with a friend involved in both incidents and not appearing for a court date.
“I don’t know what his problem is,” said provincial crown prosecutor John Donahoe. “He just doesn’t listen to anyone.”
Fletcher has been in prison since May 4 and was given credit for 38 days time served. Judge L. Burgess handed him a suspended sentence with 18 months probation.
Fletcher will not be allowed at either McDonalds or Servus Place and is prohibited from consuming alcohol or any other intoxicating substances. He is to have no contact with his friend involved in both incidents and will have to complete 100 hours of community service.
The high school student will also have to pay $350 for the broken window.
Having too much to drink one Thursday morning two years ago, has bought one Sturgeon County man a month-and-a-half’s worth of jail time.
Court heard that on Jan. 26, 2012, RCMP were called to a parking lot where a man – later identified as Dallas Bradley Majeau – had gotten into his truck after a job interview around 11 a.m., but was heavily intoxicated. Majeau provided two breath samples reading 330 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, a measurement Burgess described as being the second highest blood alcohol level he’s ever seen.
“You could be dead,” said Burgess. The legal blood alcohol limit is 80.
Court heard the 45-year-old had an impaired driving conviction from 2007 where he received a one-year driving prohibition and hefty fine. He was charged a second time in 2008 for driving with a disqualified licence and received another fine.
Majeau pleaded guilty to care and control of a motor vehicle while impaired.
The Crown and Majeau’s lawyer agreed on a 14-day jail sentence but Burgess thought the sentence wouldn’t be “sending a right message to the community.”
“Impaired driving in our society is a problem. People don’t appear to be getting that,” stated Burgess, adding he was originally inclined to hand down a 90-day jail term because of the high blood alcohol level and previous charges.
After taking into account Majeau’s efforts to deal with his alcohol addiction by attending counselling and booking himself into rehab twice since the offence, Burgess decided on a sentence of 45 days in jail to be served intermittently on weekends as well as a $50 victim fine surcharge.
Majeau will surrender himself to the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre on Friday.
