WESTLOCK – An admitted meth addict involved in a massive police chase in mid-January that reached speeds of 150 km/h and saw the RCMP helicopter and canine unit called in, received a nine-month jail sentence and two-year driving ban.
Appearing in Westlock Court of Justice April 26 via CCTV from the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre, Justin Robert Gervan pleaded guilty to theft of a motor vehicle, flight from police, operating a motor vehicle while prohibited and failing to comply with release conditions, while two counts of mischief-damage to property over $5,000 and single charges of possession of stolen property over $5,000, possession of stolen property under $5,000, obstructing a peace officer, resisting arrest, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and failing to comply with release conditions were withdrawn by Crown prosecutor Sean Hume.
Justice Jeffrey Champion agreed to the joint-sentence submission from Hume and defence lawyer Matthew Pagels on a 270-day jail sentence and two-year driving ban, while giving Gervan, who’s from Mundare, 145 days credit for the 97 “actual days” he’s spent behind bars.
Justice Champion said Gervan’s flight from police, his second since 2018 where he received a 145-day sentence, “concerned me greatly” as he highlighted the recent deaths of three police officers in the line of duty “who put their lives on the line every single day they go out to work” and that people who flee from them “increase that level of danger to an incredible degree.” And while Justice Champion appreciated Gervan’s candor when he said he was “sick of f***king up all the time”, he told him only he can change his life.
“You say you want to stop messing up your life and I hope you’re able to get the help you need and get your addiction under control. You’re a relatively young man and have a lot of life ahead, so you can decide if you want to keep doing time or to try to make a change. I wish you luck in trying to make a change,” said Justice Champion.
Pagels told court that Gervan has confided to him that he’s addicted to methamphetamine and that’s the “driving factor” in his criminal behaviour.
“I note that we are in an enlightened age where something like a meth addiction is not a moral indictment of someone’s character, but an illness,” said Pagels.
The crime
Hume told court that around 3:30 p.m., Jan. 19, 2023, Westlock RCMP received a complaint of an in-progress break-and-enter at a rural residence in the Jarvie area.
“Witnesses reported that a vehicle had smashed through a metal gate to a property and a person could be observed through the trees from the road running from the buildings on the property back to the vehicle,” said Hume.
RCMP arrived on scene and found an abandoned 2006 Ford F-350, and two distinct footprints in the fresh snow, and saw they were headed in the direction of the Hamlet of Jarvie.
At 3:53 p.m., RCMP got a call from the Pembina River Natural Gas Co-op that one of their trucks, a white 2015 GMC Sierra, had “just been stolen from their parking lot” — shoe prints at the parking lot and the first scene matched.
The Co-op’s truck has a GPS device installed and police were able to track it to Township Road 590 and Range Road 235 at which time it picked up speed.
“RCMP then deployed a covert tire deflation device on Range Road 235 near Township Road 584 which was successful in deflating the front two tires on the fleeing vehicle,” he said.
Hume noted “multiple police resources” were deployed to the area along with the RCMP helicopter “which had a visual on the suspects” throughout and noted speeds reached 150 km/h — previous reporting noted Athabasca, Redwater and the Alberta RCMP Traffic – Westlock Unit members assisted.
Gervan, who was behind the wheel, finally lost control of the truck on Range Road 235 where it entered the ditch and police were on scene “within one minute.” Gervan along with a co-accused, Kyle Donavon Fletcher, were arrested and later admitted to police they had stolen the F-350 and the Sierra, although neither would fess up to being behind the wheel.
Hume said at the time of the incident Gervan had been banned from driving and was on release conditions to remain at his home in Mundare and not be in a vehicle without the registered owner.
