Charlottetown man sentenced for store robbery, other thefts
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Robbing a retailer within the Confederation Court docket Mall and different thefts from native companies has resulted in jail time for a Charlottetown man.
Lucas Kenneth Campbell, 27, pleaded responsible to the offences on April 19 and was sentenced in provincial court docket in Charlottetown.
Campbell appeared by video from the Provincial Correctional Centre for the court docket look.
Crown legal professional John Diamond instructed the court docket that on Oct. 12, Campbell stole 10 USB flash drives from Fast Store Electronics within the Confederation Court docket Mall. As he was making an attempt to depart, the shop’s feminine worker tried stopping him and the 2 bought right into a bodily altercation. Video footage performed in court docket from the mall’s safety digicam exhibits Campbell outdoors the shop throwing the lady to the ground. She continued to hold on to Campbell and yelled for assist as he tried to depart. Campbell dropped the USB flash drives and ultimately bought away and fled the mall. The worker wasn’t bodily injured within the altercation.
Campbell was arrested the next day on Oct. 13 and has been in custody since that date.
Previous to the theft on the Confederation Court docket Mall, Campbell additionally shoplifted from three Charlottetown companies.
The primary theft was on Sept. 15 when Campbell stole a bottle of cologne valued at $142 from the Customers Drug Mart on 403 College Ave. Subsequent, on Sept. 18, Campbell was at Dwelling Depot in Charlottetown and left the shop with out paying for a Makita welder valued at $998. Then on Oct. 7, Campbell stole $154 price of things from the Atlantic Superstore on 465 College Ave. A few of the objects he stole included 4 striploin steaks, two blocks of cheese and a 100-pack of Halloween chocolate.
With respect to every of the thefts and the theft, Campbell was recognized by police from video surveillance footage.
Diamond mentioned that robberies of this kind involving small companies have gotten extra widespread and the court docket must ship a robust message denouncing these offences and deterring others from committing them. With that in thoughts, Diamond advisable a 15- to 18-month sentence for the theft along with six months whole for the three thefts and one other two months for breaching probation.
Diamond mentioned Campbell’s prior felony report since 2015 includes 26 convictions for theft, two break and enter offences and 10 breaches of probation.
“It’s been principally continuous,” mentioned Diamond.
Authorized-aid lawyer Alex Dalton famous that Campbell’s intention was solely to steal from the shop and to not get right into a bodily altercation with the worker. She additionally mentioned that her shopper was below the affect of medicine every time in the course of the offences.
Dalton requested a four- to six-month sentence for her shopper on the theft cost. She didn’t current a sentencing advice for the opposite offences.
Chief Choose Jeff Lantz sentenced Campbell to a complete of 17 months in jail for all the offences, together with 9 months for the theft. Campbell was given 9 months and 10 days of enhanced credit score for time already served in custody. Lantz famous that Campbell’s offence was distinguishable from different sorts of robberies involving violence on condition that the intention was to steal, however then the matter escalated with violence when he was prevented from leaving the electronics retailer.
As well as, Lantz sentenced Campbell to 3 years of probation and ordered him to supply a pattern of his DNA to the nationwide databank. He was additionally issued a weapons ban for 10 years.
Campbell was additionally ordered to pay restitution for the three shoplifting incidents totaling $1,294.
There was no restitution request for the USB flash drives since they had been recovered.
Terrence McEachern is a justice reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. @terry_mcn
