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Law catches up with man after eight years

Crown pressed for jail time to punish 2010 probation breach
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A Haida Gwaii man learned the hard way that old sins have long shadows, in Princeton court this week.

Glenn Chevalier was slapped with a $2,500 fine after pleading guilty to failing to report to his probation officer eight years ago.

The Crown sought a 30-day jail sentence for the offense, which would have resulted in Chevalier losing his job as an aluminum welder and boat maker.

“The message needs to be clear to the public at large that probation orders need to be taken seriously,” said Andrew Vandersluys.

“Should he be sent to a period of incarceration that will be the end of his employment,” countered Paul Varga, representing Chevalier.

“He loves his job and he’s good at it. He needs his job and they need them.”

The court heard that Chevalier was guilty in 2010 of a break and enter in the Princeton area. He was sentenced to six months in prison, followed by two years probation.

A warrant for his arrest was issued after he failed to report to his assigned probation officer for two months.

After that “he blew off the whole two years,” said Vandersluys.

He was arrested on that warrant late in 2017.

“I don’t have an excuse other than that I had just finished an incarceration and I went back to work,” Chevalier told the court.

Judge Michelle Daneliuk noted Chevalier’s criminal record.

“It’s not short and it has some serious charges on it…but he hasn’t committed any offenses that the court is aware of since 2008.”

Varga asked the court to consider community hours, house arrest, or a $2,000 fine as an alternative to prison.

Before fining Chevalier $2,500 and attaching a mandatory $750 victims’ surcharge, Daneliuk stressed the importance of complying with probation conditions.

“It can’t be more clear to you now, with the threat of jail hanging over your head, the importance of obeying court orders.”

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Andrea DeMeer

About the Author: Andrea DeMeer

Andrea is the publisher of the Similkameen Spotlight.
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