WESTLOCK – One of two men involved in pinching a garbage truck and a pair of vehicle batteries from Cross Lake Provincial Park in the dead of winter will wait until October to learn his sentence.
In Westlock Provincial Court July 13, Kelly Morin pleaded guilty to shopbreaking with intent, with sentencing delayed until Oct. 12 for completion of a Gladue Report, a type of pre-sentencing and bail hearing report that can be requested when sentencing an Indigenous offender under Section 718.2(e) of the Criminal Code. Judge Gordon Putnam was not seized to the case, so a transcript of the sitting was ordered and will be provided to the presiding judge.
Crown prosecutor Brett Grierson told court that overnight Jan. 17, 2022, Morin and an unknown co-accused broke into a secure, utilities yard at Cross Lake Provincial Park, which is located roughly 60 kilometres north of the Town of Westlock. That night, Morin and the other individual worked for an hour with a hand-held grinder and saw to cut through a metal gate barring the road to the campground.
“The two then attached a toe-strap around the damaged gate and attached the other end to a dark-coloured Ford pickup truck and accelerated with the truck to snap the gate in half,” said Grierson.
The two then headed towards the utility yard and used bolt cutters to cut a hole in the chain link fence and a lock. Finally on site, they entered several sheds on the property and swiped a pair of vehicle batteries, as well as marked Ford F-350 garbage truck.
“The accused was identified by trail cameras set up near the initial gate and his face was clearly visible,” said Grierson.
On Jan. 20, police arrested Morin and he showed them on a map where the stolen garbage truck was hidden. There, police were able to recover the truck, which had some of its Government of Alberta decals partially removed.
Morin also faces two counts each of possession of break-in instruments, failing to comply with conditions of an undertaking, mischief, damage under $5,000 and single charges of trespassing at night, theft of a motor vehicle and theft under $5,000 — those charges are expected to be withdrawn following sentencing in October.
