WESTLOCK - An Athabasca-area man who blew off his conditional sentence, took a truck without permission and didn’t report to his bail supervisor, received a 30-plus-day jail sentence and now faces more than $3,000 in fines and restitution.
Appearing in Westlock Provincial Court Sept. 28 via CCTV from the Edmonton Remand Centre, Josiah Jordan Houle pleaded guilty to breaching a conditional sentence order, taking a motor vehicle without the consent of the owner and failing to report to his bail supervisor, while two additional charges of breaching a conditional sentence order and single count of failing to attend court were withdrawn by Crown prosecutor Alison Moore.
Judge Karl Wilberg agreed to the joint-sentence submission from Moore and duty counsel Telmo dos Santos that included a 34-day sentence — 19 days for the collapse of the conditional sentence and 15 days for failing to report to his bail supervisor — deemed served by the 25 days, credited at one to 1.5, he’s already been behind bars. Houle also faces a $750 fine, plus a restitution order for $2,418.68 for towing and storage of the truck he took and both are payable by Sept. 28, 2023 — he was spared a victim-fine surcharge by Judge Wilberg, who called his criminal record “not that bad.”
“I agree that this is reasonable,” said the judge.
Court heard that around 2:12 a.m., Aug. 15, 2021, Athabasca RCMP were called after an intoxicated man had knocked on a woman’s door saying he had a flat tire.
“Police attended and located a white GMC truck with its flashers on and located Mr. Houle walking behind it. Police spoke to the owner of the vehicle and she indicated that he had been at her residence earlier that night and had stolen her truck,” said Moore.
Court also heard that in Athabasca Provincial Court Sept. 13, 2021, Houle received a three-month conditional sentence that was to be followed by probation. As part of the order, Houle was supposed to participate in the Bigstone Cree Nation Restorative Justice Program and on Oct. 6 he reported by phone to his supervisor, where he received additional instructions.
Houle was then supposed to report again by the end of the month but didn’t and also hadn’t followed through on his counselling conditions or contacted the restorative justice program.
“Ultimately his probation officer lost contact with him,” said Moore.
Finally, on Jan. 16, 2022, Houle was let out of jail on bail, but did not follow through on the conditions, specifically reporting within five days, and as of Feb. 4, 2022, had not called his supervisor.
