Drug addict sent to prison

A drug addict who was arrested three times in four months has been sent to prison.

Michael Davies pleaded guilty Thursday in Lethbridge provincial court to one charge of drug possession and three charges of drug possession for the purpose of trafficking, and was sentenced to 29 months in a federal penitentiary.

Davies, 32, was driving a vehicle Dec. 8 of last year when he was stopped by police. During a search police found more than $2,000 cash and 5.3 grams of methamphetamines. There were also visible signs of trafficking.

A month later, Davies was stopped again and was in possession of 20.2 grams of methamphetamines. Then on March 26 he was stopped yet again and caught with 63 Oxy 80 pills packaged in individual Baggies. The same day police searched a hotel room and found a quantity of fentanyl pills.

Defence lawyer Darcy Shurtz explained Davies, whose wife is expecting their first child soon, is a long-time addict, but he hopes to get help through counselling and programs offered in prison.

“He’s hoping to get this drug addiction behind him,” Shurtz said.

Judge Gregory Maxwell acknowledged Davies’ drug habit but said his charges are particularly aggravating because he was arrested and released, arrested and released again, then arrested again, all for similar drug offences.

Davies was given credit for the equivalent of five months spent in custody before he was sentenced, leaving two years for him to serve in jail. He must also submit a sample of his DNA for the National DNA Databank, and he is prohibited from possessing certain firearms and other weapons for life.

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