21-year-old has 42 convictions
Man gets year in jail for theft, break-ins; judge says jail is only appropriate place for him
Daniel Campbell
Northern News Services
Published Friday, April 18, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A young man with a lengthy criminal record was sent to jail for a year on Tuesday for a string of offences over the past few months.
Adrian Robert Hardisty, 21, was sentenced for breaking and entering, theft and breaching his probation on numerous occasions since November in Yellowknife and Fort Simpson.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Hardisty first got into trouble on Nov. 25 in Yellowknife, when he broke into the basement of an empty house on 49 Street and got drunk inside.
The next day, Hardisty went to the downtown liquor store and tried to steal a bottle of vodka. RCMP were called and he was arrested in the Centre Square Mall.
Then on March 22, RCMP found Hardisty drunk and stoned, passed out on the steps of a high school in Fort Simpson.
They arrested him for breaching his probation but he was later released.
Five days later, Hardisty stole a vehicle outside of a bar in Fort Simpson, drove it to a house in the community and broke inside.
The owner of the home caught Hardisty, who was placing items near the doorway with an apparent plan to steal them later.
Hardisty fled after a brief struggle, and was picked up by RCMP the next day.
Crown prosecutor Kindra Lakusta asked the court to impose a 10-to-12 month jail sentence, adding she did not think probation would be effective for Hardisty.
She said although Hardisty is a relatively young man, he has a lengthy record, with convictions for breaking and entering, mischief and theft.
He also showed he had a habit of breaking court orders, she said.
Defence attorney Thomas Boyd said his client struggles with alcohol abuse and only has a Grade 10 education.
Chief Judge Robert Gorin looked at Hardisty's criminal record, noting the offences he was being sentenced with would bring him to a total of 42 convictions.
"Only imprisonment would be appropriate in this circumstance," Gorin said.
He sentenced Hardisty to one year in jail for all of his offences.
Instead of imposing mandatory victim of crime surcharges - which would have totalled $600 - Gorin sentenced the man to jail time for not paying the fines, which he will serve concurrently to his one-year sentence.
