WESTLOCK – A Westlock man who stole and cashed a $4,058.40 cheque, received a short jail sentence and now faces a year of probation.
In Westlock Provincial Court Nov. 30, Tyler Stump, 24, pleaded guilty to using a forged document, while a second charge of fraud under $5,000 was withdrawn by Crown student-at-law Taylor Noble — the case had been set for trial that day.
Judge Clifton Purvis agreed to the joint-sentence submission from Noble and defence lawyer Richard Forbes for a 12-day jail sentence and year-long probation order that includes a host of conditions — Stump’s time was deemed served by pre-trial custody at the Edmonton Remand Centre.
Judge Purvis, noting Stump’s recent and related two-page criminal record, warned him that if not for the joint-sentence submission he would have sent him to jail.
“You were on probation for property offences when you committed this. My inclination was to throw you in prison for a year,” said Judge Purvis, who waived the victim-fine surcharge. “If you breach any of these (probation) conditions you’re going to be brought back before me and I’m going to send you to prison for a long time. Time’s up to grow up.
“I don’t have a lot of confidence in you, but I hope you prove me wrong. You can change your behaviour or go to prison for a long time.”
Court heard that on May 27, 2021, Westlock RCMP received a complaint that Stump had stolen and then cashed a cheque for $4,058.40 two days previously — the police investigation confirmed those facts. Court did not hear if the money was ever returned to the victim and no restitution order was tendered.
