‘Bonnie and Clyde’ get prison time
The Daily Press
In Court - Wednesday, June 22, 2005 @ 07:00
A Timmins woman and her boyfriend were both sentenced to jail time Tuesday for
their parts in a crime spree that included stealing an SUV and collectible
shotgun from her stepmother and breaking into a Gogama-area cottage.
Katherine Lindsay, 22, pled guilty to break and enter and theft over $5,000,
while Darren Moore of Hearst pled guilty to break and enter in a separate trial.
“This sounds like Bonnie and Clyde, stealing cars and guns,” said Crown
attorney Dave Thomas during Lindsay’s trial.
Lindsay was handed six months in jail by Justice Ronald Boivin, with credit
given for the 56 days of pre-plea custody already served. Meanwhile, Justice
Martin Lambert agreed to a joint submission for Moore asking for six months
without credit for previous time spent in custody.
Lindsay had arrived at the home of stepmother Laurie and father Roy, who was
away, early in the morning on Nov. 1, 2004 and asked for a place to stay,
according to a statement from Laurie Lindsay.
Laurie said when she woke the next morning both her Suburban SUV and her
husband’s shotgun were missing, as well as some lesser items.
Crown attorney Dale Cox said later that day police responded to a call from a
man whose cottage near Gogama had been broken into. A search of the building
revealed a jacket that contained Moore’s driver’s licence. As well, a piece
of the vehicle was found outside. Several food items had been taken from the
cottage, Cox said, and there were syringes in the trash.
Thomas also asked that Lindsay be prevented from associating with Moore as a
condition of her probation, but Boivin said such an order would be useless
because the two wouldn’t obey it.
“(Moore)’s my only support,” said Lindsay prior to sentencing. “I’ve
lost everything else.”
Duty counsel for both Lindsay and Moore said the two are struggling with
addictions to cocaine and prescription drugs.
While Lindsay had no criminal record previous to the incident, Moore had run
into trouble with the law several times when younger, but stayed out of court
between 1995 and 2004.
“Apparently his dalliance with cocaine and Miss Lindsay has led him back into
criminality, with disastrous consequences,” said Cox.
Lambert, who described Moore’s record as “atrocious,” said he hopes Moore
can change his ways.
“The fact you’ve pled guilty is the only positive thing here,” Lambert
said. “You have to address your choice of cohorts and use of drugs. Otherwise
you’ll be back to court again and again, and the sentences don’t get
shorter. They get longer.”
Four months
for pot bust
A man who crossed the border from Quebec to Ontario with 184 grams of marijuana
in the crotch of his pants was handed a four-month conditional sentence Monday.
Danny Cossette, 35, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance. The
charges stemmed from a Feb. 15 arrest following Cossette’s crossing of the
border.
Quebec RCMP had reportedly been observing him after a tip was received by the
Cochrane District Crimestoppers earlier that day.
A search of his person revealed the marijuana in his pants.
“Although it’s a large amount, there’s a consensus that it was only for
personal use,” said Justice Ron Boivin.
Boivin said Cossette will only be able to leave his home for work or family and
medical emergencies for the duration of his sentence.
Celebration nets $700 fine
A woman’s celebration of the news she was cancer-free has led to a
drunk-driving conviction, a $700 fine and one-year licence suspension.
Janice Sheldon, 50, of Timmins, pleaded guilty to ability impaired charges
stemming from an incident on May 6, when she was pulled over by police who
reported she had been driving erratically.
She said she had been drinking that night because she was celebrating the
success of her cancer treatment.
Sheldon said the decision to drive while impaired was out of character and
wrong, but disputed the claim she had been driving erratically and fell when
exiting the vehicle.
“It might not be surprising that you remember events differently from the
officer, since he was sober and you were not,” said Justice Martin Lambert.
“I find it strange that since you were celebrating your good health you would
then go out and put yourself and others in danger.”
613-797-3237