Man sentenced for breaching probation

Daniel Douglas Calder deserves some credit for showing up for his weekend jail sentence last November.

Unfortunately for him, he didn’t show up sober.

The 27-year-old Lethbridge man was serving a 90-day intermittent sentence for dangerous driving, and when he was convicted in July 2016, he was ordered to show up at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre every weekend in a sober condition.

But when he reported Nov. 18 for his weekly stint behind bars, jail staff noted he had bleary eyes and was unsteady on his feet.

“He, in fact, was under the influence of alcohol,” Crown prosecutor Clayton Giles said Thursday in Lethbridge provincial court.

Calder pleaded guilty to one count of breaching probation and was sentenced to another 15 days in jail. However, he was given credit for time he had already spent in custody on the charge, which leaves only seven days on his sentence.

Calder also pleaded guilty to a single count of fraud under $5,000, for which he was given a suspended sentence and placed on probation for 15 months.

Calder was living with his grandfather when on May 8 he stole nearly $1,500 from his grandfather by e-transferring the money from his bank account.

Defence lawyer Vincent Guinan said Calder is an alcoholic who, despite previous treatment for substance abuse, had a relapse, which resulted in the offences for which he was sentenced.

“Mr. Calder has had a lifelong battle with alcoholism,” Guinan said.

In addition to his sentence for fraud, Calder was ordered take counselling for substance abuse, life skills and other counselling as directed by his probation officer. He must live where approved and pay back the $1,495 he stole from his grandfather.

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