‘I don’t know why I did it’: Stealing $20,000 boat leads to jail time for P.E.I. man
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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Stealing a $20,000 boat from an area enterprise has led to jail time for a P.E.I. man.
“I do not know why I did it. I do not know what came visiting me. Perhaps it is simply out of plain stupidity,” mentioned Basil John Gallant at sentencing on Could 29 in provincial court docket in Charlottetown.
Gallant, 46, additionally apologized in court docket to the boat’s proprietor for committing the theft. Gallant pleaded responsible to a cost of theft over $5,000 at a earlier court docket look.
On Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022, at round 5 a.m., Gallant stole a Triton 186-TR motorboat from Centennial Auto Sport and Tire on Sherwood Highway in Charlottetown. Video surveillance footage confirmed Gallant pull into the parking zone, hooked up the boat to his pickup truck after which drive away, mentioned Crown lawyer Emily Campbell.
Gallant was additionally seen on video surveillance a few hours after the theft at a gasoline station in Summerside carrying the identical jacket and footwear because the suspect and driving the identical car. Campbell additionally famous that on Oct. 14, 2022, Charlottetown police noticed the truck within the movies driving on Brackley Level Highway. Even so, Gallant wasn’t arrested till Jan. 1, 2023.
Previous to his arrest, somebody on the enterprise obtained a tip that Gallant stole the boat. He went to Gallant’s residence in St. Raphael and recovered the boat with none harm, mentioned Campbell.
When later talking to police, Gallant denied the theft allegation regardless of beforehand telling the enterprise worker the place the boat was positioned.
“The person took it into his personal fingers to recuperate the boat and appeared to have extra info forward of time, I suppose, than the officers had been in a position to collect,” Campbell mentioned.
Gallant’s prior prison file has convictions for theft underneath $5,000 and drug possession. When it comes to earnings, Gallant is not employed however makes cash renting three rooms in his dwelling. On the time of the offence and at sentencing, Gallant was coping with addictions to opioids and alcohol. Based mostly on a pre-sentence report ready to help the court docket, Campbell added that Gallant has made a number of makes an attempt over time to take care of his addictions points, together with detoxing (detox) 5 occasions.
Campbell really useful a jail sentence however left the period of time in custody as much as the choose.
Authorized help lawyer Justin Milne reminded the court docket that his consumer pleaded responsible at an early alternative and is remorseful. When it comes to addictions, Milne added that Gallant is motivated to get higher and more healthy and needs to vary.
Milne famous that Gallant’s prison file has gaps in time with no offences and really useful a suspended sentence. If jail was required, Milne really useful not more than 14 days, which was the longest time he has beforehand spent in custody for a theft conviction in Summerside in 2010.
Nevertheless, Chief Decide Jeff Lantz famous that stealing the boat was pretty vital in comparison with a shoplifting cost. Lantz then sentenced Gallant to 30 days in jail and 18 months of probation. Through the probation interval, Gallant is required to steer clear of the enterprise and write a letter of apology to it for stealing the boat.
Terrence McEachern is a justice reporter with SaltWire in Prince Edward Island. He may be reached by e-mail at [email protected] and may be adopted on Twitter @terry_mcn.