ATHABASCA – A 17-year-old from the Calling Lake area told the court they would be on their best behavior following a March 11 court date that saw them address a plethora of incidents in one swoop.
The young person, who can’t be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) pleaded guilty to a variety of offences, including theft, mischief, and several release order breaches as part of a joint submission between Crown prosecutor Jonathan Avey and defence counsel Jerred Moore.
Justice Gordon Putnam accepted the joint submission, which will see the youth serve 18 months of probation, which includes mandatory counselling for alcohol abuse and an 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew.
Moore said his client was “knocking on the door of adulthood” and understood the risks inherent to their position.
“(They) understand that if (they) come back before the courts, (they’re) probably looking at jail time,” said Moore.
The first offence occurred May 8, 2023, when the youth failed to attend a docket court date at the Athabasca Courthouse.
On Aug. 3, 2023, two people, including the youth, attended a Calling Lake address, where surveillance footage caught them smashing a light with a broomstick.
The next offence occurred on Sept. 30, when residents in the hamlet heard glass breaking, and observed the youth inside a minivan with a smashed front window. The youth took miscellaneous items from the vehicle — they pleaded guilty to mischief and theft under $5,000.
“We’re prioritizing rehabilitation here, we’re thinking about the fact that (they’re) 17 years old,” said Avey.
On Nov. 7, 2023, Athabasca RCMP received a report from a woman that her purse had been stolen from her vehicle. Later that day, the youth was located on arrested on outstanding warrants, at which point the purse was in their possession.
The next day, Nov. 8, the youth was observed trying to fuel an ATV on the property of a woman he was on a release order to have no contact with — it was unclear if it was the same woman from the Nov. 7 incident.
On Nov. 26, the youth was found in a bedroom of a property belonging to family members they were on a release condition to have no contact with.
One last chance
“While (they) were in custody, they advised that they continued to do their schooling, which they found helpful and effective,” said Moore. “They’ve indicated that they don’t have employment prior to custody, but they’ve indicated that they’re focused on their education. Math is their preferred option.”
Overnight on Dec. 13, a series of break and enters occurred at a clustered area in Calling Lake. One homeowner had cameras in and around their property, which caught footage of an individual standing inside a garage wearing a ski suit with a bandana around their face. The individual, who RCMP were able to identify as the young person, stood to the side while two others rammed a quad into the garage door. The trio was caught on camera rifling around the interior of the garage, before one of them noticed the camera and took it down.
Lastly, the youth pleaded guilty to failure to comply with a release condition after an RCMP officer attended the house the young person was bound to reside at. An 11:35 p.m. compliance check determined the youth was not present and had left about 20 minutes prior.
In total the youth pleaded guilty to two counts of mischief, two counts of breaching an undertaking, breaking and entering, theft under $5,000, possession of stolen property, failing to comply with a release order, and failing to appear for court.
Putnam agreed with both the Crown and Moore, telling the youth the probation sentence was generous, and wishing them well on their future journey.
“Given the circumstances and the number of offences … the focus of the YCJA is rehabilitation, and that’s what this order does,” said Putnam. “This is your last kick at the can, you’re 17, and this will be a different outcome in a year from now.
“This is your one chance to bring everything under control in your life.”
