HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-06-23, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1999.
Teen gets 15 days in jail for theft
A Blyth teen is spending some
time in jail following an appear
ance in Wingham’s court on
Wednesday.
Steve Garnet, 18, pled guilty to
theft under $5,000. According to
Attorney for the Crown Chris Nel-
ligan, Garnet had attended a dance
at F.E. Madill Secondary School,
on Dec. 21 and was seen leaving
the dance with a sound-activated
light system rented for the evening
from Ernie King Music Ltd. It was
valued at $330.
In February, Garnet was arrested
in relation to another matter and
was questioned at the time on the
theft. Nelligan said the youth
admitted stealing it and said he
gave it to a friend-to sell. It has not
been recovered.
With regards to Garnet's record,
Nelligan said “there is a history”,
though most were from young
offender’s court. Only one entry is
from adult court.
Nelligan added, that the record is
a concern. “He is now an adult, but
it doesn’t seem to have changed the
pattern.“
Asked by Justice Phillips if he
had anything to say, Garnet stated
that he knew what he did was
wrong, but wasn’t thinking at the
time. He added that he is prepared
to make restitution.
Judge Phillips asked him if he
did not realize that in light of his
record he would go to jail. “You
had to know or should have that if
you were apprehended you would
face custody and that’s exactly
what’s going to happen.”
He sentenced him to 15 days and
ordered him to make restitution in
the full amount.
MULTIPLE CHARGES
A Kitchener man pled guilty to
14 counts relating to bad cheques.
Steven Anger faced three charges
of false pretenses, three forgeries
and eight fraud charges.
On Sept. 4, he purchased $800
worth of items from Hodgins in
Pot a problem, says officer
A closer look
OPP Detective Const. Mike Scott, left, identifies the differ
ent varieties of marijuana to Ryan Newman following his
information session in Brussels last Wednesday night.
Sponsored by the North Huron Community Policing Com
mittee, the meeting was planned to educate landowners on
recognizing pot patches on their property.
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
Recognizing one of Huron’s top
crops was the focus of an informa
tion night held in Brussels last
Wednesday.
Though the turnout was smaller
than hoped for, those present were
interested in learning more about
the cultivation of marijuana and the
drug itself from Detective Const.
Mike Scott.
Sponsored by the North Huron
Community Policing Committee
the evening was intended to help
people identify a pot patch or suspi
cious behaviour on their property,
as well as educate them about mari
juana. Scott, who is a drug enforce
ment specialist worked undercover
with the major crimes unit of the
OPP, during which time he did
undercover purchases and was
involved in drug raids.
With his background, the first
thing he wanted to impart was that
if legislators bent on legalizing the
drug think it’s a minor problem,
“they have their heads stuck in the
sand.”
Cultivated for its bud, Scott said
it is not like the marijuana back in
the 1960s. “You were lucky then to
have pot with six or seven per cent
THC (the major pyschoactive com
ponent tetrahydrocannabinol).
Today it’s pushing 25-30 percent.
It’s actually stronger than some of
the narcotics out there.” He added
that it is common today for people
to overdose on marijuana.
With the plant becoming big
business for organized crime and
biker gangs, Scott said patches,
which are harvested between mid
July through October, are unlikely
to be found in cornfields. That is
the rank amateur.
“Bushlots, by streams in swamp
land is where you will find them.
They need decent soil and water
source and sunlight. It won’t be
bushes, they need to be in the open,
thank God, it makes our job easi
er.”
Also, they tend to plant several
small plots, rather than a huge one
of 200-300 plants.
Each year the OPP, RCMP and
National Defense helicopters do an
eradication program of the
province. “The easiest way to spot
it is from the air,” says Scott. “Mar
ijuana from the air is a distinctive
green. There is no other plant even
remotely close, though once in a
while I have been fooled by some
young cedar trees.”
And every year, Huron is number
one. “It’s a dubious honour, but it’s
fact. We are blessed with a relative
ly mild climate, sparse population
and a lot of absentee farmers.”
Actually, Canada is now a net
exporter of marijuana. “People
used to say, T’ve got some good
Jamaican.’ Now it’s ‘I’ve got some
good Canuck.’”
Trying to change that requires
that people be alert to the situation.
“If you have a remote water source
on your property. I’d be taking
more walks," said Scott.
He also said to watch for leftover
paraphernalia such was watering
cans, potting soil bags, rakes, or for
tell-tale signs such as an area of
grass pushed over.”
Suspicious vehicles should be
reported and the license number
given.
One landowner asked what to do
if you encounter anyone. Scott
warned not to “take them on” but
said the landowner has the right to
order them off the property and ask
for a name. Also, he said take note
of their appearance so you can pro
vide a good description.
“If you see no vehicle and they
run get to the phone and we’ll
come out with the dog.”
One of the best results of the
eradication said Scott is to drive the
growers inside. The unbelievably
bright lamps used for indoor culti
vation “suck up” electricity. Police
use a Forward Looking Infra Red
(FLIR) to detect these lights from
the sky. “Then we do a hydro check
and that gives us grounds for a
search warrant.”
Scott noted some of the difficul
ties facing police with regards to
drug arrests. Search warrants
require a lot of red tape. “With the
Charter of Rights the pendulum has
swung too far the other way.”
Also, in some cases the work has
gotten dangerous. “Something
that’s happening are trip wires that
will shoot everything from razor
blades to bullets. Guys protect their
patches with fervour.”
There is also a concern with the
user, particularly if they drive a car.
‘If we pull someone over we have
to be able to prove they are
impaired. Right now there are no
experts who can come to court and
say what would constitute impair
ment. If legislation is going to go
the way they seem to be they better
find a way for us to take drivers off
the road if they have been smoking
dope.”
There is currently no provision in
the criminal code to allow police to
“grab someone’s blood unless there
was an accident involving other
people,” said Scott.
While expert opinion varies on
whether marijuana is addictive,
Scott believe its effects are. “I have
zero tolerance for liberals who say
it’s not a problem and doesn’t lead
to bigger problems.”
Turnberry Twp. which he charged
to his landlord.
Cheques for $252.90 to Advance
Technology Wingham Computer
on Oct. 2; Stainton’s in the amount
of $34.18 on Oct. 16, and Chisholm
Fuels in the amount of $364.07 on
Nov. 23 were written from some
one’s else’s account.
With regards to the fraud the
charges stem from a frozen bank
account on which several cheques
were written, including one to
Grant“s TV in Walkerton for the
purchase of a television valued at
$900 and to Cam Ex Video Service
in Formosa for a satellite dish,
totalling $802.70. These were
recovered later and returned.
In all the amount still owing is
$2,000.
Anger has no related record.
Phillips chastised the accused for
this “raid on local merchants, who
are generally hard-working consci
entious people."
He added that this type of activi
ty hurts every person who does
business in a community because
they become scrutinized. Noting
that Anger offered no explanation
as to why he went on this spree,
though he did apologize, Judge
Phillips said he was fortunate that
he was not going to be sent to jail.
“It’s in the best interest of the
victims that he is kept employed.
If he pays the money back then
everyone is happy and he can
breathe a sigh of relief he missed
the jailhouse door.
He was fined $35 on each count
for a total of $495, in addition to
restitution all to be paid in six
months. He was also placed on 18
months probation.
POSSESSION
A Bluevale man pled guilty to
narcotic possession.
Acting Federal Crown Tom Mur
phy said that Michael Harbach was
arrested after a warrant was execut
ed at his home, March 11. Police
seized two partial one-gram vials of
cannabis resin.
Harbach has no narcotics record.
All the paraphernalia seized has
been forfeited to the Crown.
Harbach was fined $100.
STOLEN PROPERTY
A Fordwich teen was fined $200
for having sold stolen golfclubs.
According to Nelligan, the
woman who owned the clubs
noticed they were missing from her
garage in April. A few days later
she found them at the Listowel
Sports Exchange. The police were
notified and when questioned the
owner said the accused and a
female had sold them to him for
$30.
Scott Irvine claimed they had
found the clubs and cashed them in
that same day.
He has a young offender record
dating to 1995.
The clubs have been returned to
the owner and the money has been
repaid.
CAUSE DISTURBANCE
Andrew Mair of London pled
guilty to causing a disturbance. The
first witness called by Nelligan was
Const. Foxton of the Wingham
Police Services who said that on
the evening of Dec. 29 he and an
OPP officer broke up a fight in a
downtown parking lot.
He said that there was some diffi
culty in splitting up the two, as the
other man did not let go of Mair’s
hair. Upon cross-examination he
said the man did not let go until
pepper spray was mentioned.
The OPP officer backed up Fox
ton’s story.
Thomas Brindley of RR3, Luc
know was the Crown’s next wit
ness. He explained that he and two
friends had been sitting in a truck
outside the pizza place. He saw
Mair pass and exchanged greetings.
Mair approached the truck and after
some conversation reached in and
took Brindley’s pizza slice.
“It didn’t mean anything to me,”
said Brindley, adding he believed
Mair was just joking.
One of the other men in the
truck, however, was upset. “He said
I shouldn’t let him get away with
it,” Brindley said. He testified that
his friend insisted Brindley let him
out of the truck and he and Mair
Continued on page 16
The Blyth Festival
applauds the support of our community for 25 seasons.
Celebrate with your friends and neighbours at a post-performance
reception honouring the
Wfoge of & Iwwshps of
Mott < to Ukmmorit
This performance is generously sponsored by
The Radford Group
"...fueling our imaginations for 15 years!"
Thursday, June 24,1999 - 8 p.m.
That Slimmer by David French
After a quarter century of top quality live theatre each summer in our Village, we have come to take it
for granted. It is hard to imagine ourselves without it The efforts of so many volunteers, financial
supporters and the high calibre professionals that have built the summer theatre have probably
brought more recognition to Blyth than any other single effort We look forward to our theatre
attracting visitors and keepingour community in the limelight through the next century.
Reeve Mason Bailey, VILLAGE OF BLYTH
The Reeve of East Wawanosh Township would like to congratulate Blyth Festival theatre on their 25th
season. Reeve Donald Schultz, TOWNSHIP OF EAST WAWANOSH
"Congratulations to the Blyth Festival on their accomplishments over the past 25 years. The Township
of Hullett is proud to be a neighbour." Council, TOWNSHIP OF HULLETT
Residents save $2.50 with this coupon