Charlottetown man sentenced for stealing truck warming up in driveway
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A Charlottetown man who stole an unoccupied truck warming up in a driveway after which crashed head-on right into a police car has been sentenced for a number of offences.
William James Hunter, 37, pleaded responsible on Might 10 and was sentenced in provincial courtroom in Charlottetown for stealing the truck, impaired driving, flight from police and assault with a weapon (the truck).
The entire offences occurred on Feb. 26. At round 4:30 a.m., a lady phoned Charlottetown police to report that her boyfriend’s truck had been stolen from their driveway on Pownal Road in Charlottetown, mentioned Crown lawyer Bridget Morriscey. The car was working and warming up with the keys inside. After beginning the truck, she went contained in the residence to get a snow brush. When she went again exterior, she noticed the truck dashing away.
At round 6 a.m., Charlottetown police noticed the truck driving on College Avenue after which into the Atlantic Superstore parking zone.
Additionally on the retailer’s parking zone clearing snow was the truck’s proprietor, mentioned Morriscey. When the proprietor noticed his stolen truck headed in direction of him, he approached it and tried to seize Hunter by way of a rolled-down window. As a substitute, Hunter stored driving and the proprietor was dragged for a number of ft earlier than falling on the pavement and hitting his head.
The truck continued driving by way of the parking zone after which westbound on Belvedere Avenue. The truck then turned onto a facet avenue, the place it was met head-on by one other police car and crashed into it. Different police autos adopted and boxed within the truck. Hunter tried unsuccessfully to get away by reversing and accelerating the truck. Hunter was faraway from the truck and arrested by police.
An officer on the scene additionally seen that Hunter had indicators of impairment. Hunter was taken to the Charlottetown police station and supplied two breathalyzer samples of 150 and 140 milligrams (mg) of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The authorized restrict is 80 mg.
Authorized-aid lawyer Alex Dalton mentioned alcohol is a matter for her shopper and that the offences that day have been a “wake-up” name for Hunter.
Hunter additionally spoke in courtroom and apologized for what he did that day, including that none of it will have occurred if he hadn’t been consuming so closely. Hunter mentioned that he needs to get assist for his alcoholism.
Chief Choose Jeff Lantz sentenced Hunter to a complete of 63 days for the entire offences. As well as, Hunter was sentenced to 18 months of probation and 100 hours of neighborhood service and banned from driving for 18 months. With the permission of his probation officer, Hunter could have the choice to pay $10 for every hour of neighborhood service to the native meals financial institution. Hunter was additionally issued a weapons ban for 5 years and ordered to offer a pattern of his DNA to the nationwide databank.
Hunter didn’t have a previous prison document.
Terrence McEachern is a justice reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. @terry_mcn
