A man who used his position as a new car salesman to illegally shop for parts was sentenced to a $1,000 fine this week.
Bruno Gilbert Moulun pleaded guilty to one count of possession of stolen property.
The St. Albert RCMP first became aware of the case on June 10, 2009 when Moulun’s common-law wife walked into the detachment and explained she had been in an accident the year prior.
She had a damaged wheel and a bent rim following the accident and couldn’t afford to replace them.
Moulun was a new car sales manager at an Edmonton Ford dealership at the time and used the store’s database to find someone who had bought a similar make and model vehicle.
After finding an appropriate car he went to the owner’s house and took the wheel off the vehicle overnight.
Before receiving the fine, Moulun apologized to the court and said he been racked with guilt since the theft.
“This has put me through a lot of stressful nights and I never want to be in this courtroom again.”
A 26-year-old man caught in a barroom brawl was spared a criminal record this week with a conditional discharge the sitting judge was very hesitant to provide.
Randolph Peter Janes pleaded guilty to a single count of assault and will receive the discharge if he stays out of trouble for the next year.
Police were called on Feb. 13 around 1:30 a.m. by a man outside the Blind Pig Pub, who Janes had punched in the face.
The two had been arguing before the dispute turned physical.
Crown prosecutor Jeff Morrison and duty counsel Bonnie Parker had agreed to recommend the conditional discharge as part of a plea arrangement.
Judge Jeanne Burch said she thought the idea of a conditional discharge for this kind of offence was inappropriate, but said she didn’t feel she had an option to reject their suggestion.
Joint sentencing recommendations from the Crown and defence are imposed unless the judge believes they are outside the range of suitable sentences.
Burch conceded many people have received a conditional discharge for a bar fight and the sentence was not outside the range of appropriate sentences, but said she felt it should leave someone with a criminal record.
“I will accept the joint submission because I don’t think I have the grounds to upset it.”
Under the terms of the discharge, Janes will have to report regularly to probation and will be prohibited from attending any bars or from being intoxicated in a public place.
