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Grand Theft Auto-style Penticton prolific offender gets another 27 months behind bars

Jesse Shawcross stole multiple vehicles over nine days in 2019 to fuel $300 a day meth addiction
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Jesse Shawcross will spend more time behind bars after his 2019 crime spree. (File photo)

One of Penticton’s prolific offenders will spend another two years and three months in jail for his Grand Theft Auto-styled crime spree.

Jesse William Shawcross, 39, was sentenced on Nov. 9 to a combined total of 84 months in jail, which after time served will amount to another 27 months in custody, said Dan McLaughlin, communications counsel for the BC Prosecution Service.

Shawcross was charged with a variety of crimes across multiple cases, including a spree of carjackings and vehicle thefts including a motorbike and ATV between nine days in September 2019.

At the end of his crime spree, it took five officers to finally take Shawcross into custody, where he has been ever since.

The spree was driven in part by what his defence said was a $200 to $300 a day crystal meth habit and days without sleep.

READ MORE: Penticton man who went on 9-day auto crime spree fueled by $300 a day meth habit: Lawyer

The spree started with the theft of a Honda CRV, which was later recovered in Grand Forks, attempted thefts of two vehicles in an underground apartment building, the theft of a Harley Davidson, a vehicle from the parking lot at the South Okanagan General Hospital, a side-by-side ATV, and then another vehicle from a Good Samaritan who stopped after Shawcross crashed the Harley Davidson in Penticton.

He would then dump that vehicle in Oliver where he’d steal a van, which was the vehicle he was behind the wheel of when RCMP caught up with him in Penticton.

A one kilometre foot chase ensued, which went from the Canadian Tire all the way to the Petro-Can parking lot, took about five officers to finally bring the struggling Shawcross into custody.

Shawcross continued to be defiant following his arrest, shouting at officers including explicit and extremely graphic threats to them and their families.

Crown counsel had sought a sentence of eight to nine years, while Shawcross’ defence wanted a sentence of five years, with another five years under custodial supervision and two years of community supervision.

Shawcross also received a five-year driving ban.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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Brennan Phillips

About the Author: Brennan Phillips

Brennan was raised in the Okanagan and is thankful every day that he gets to live and work in one of the most beautiful places in Canada.
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