Oliver man gets 90-day term

An “extremely co-operative” Oliver man who toured police through his home and produced a nearly 50-gram brick of cocaine for them when asked to do so has been ordered to serve 90 days in jail.

Edward Wayne Coulter, 58, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking on Wednesday in B.C. Supreme Court in Penticton on what was to have been his first day of trial.

The sentence, which will be followed by 12 months’ probation, and includes a lifetime firearms ban, was a joint submission of Crown and defence.

Court heard police executed a search warrant on Oct. 2, 2014, on Coulter’s home and travel trailer on Primrose Lane in Oliver.

Inside Coulter’s bedroom police found an unlocked safe containing $220 in cash, a digital scale with white residue on it, a pack of black baggies and another small safe on the shelf behind the bed.

While police were inside investigating, a white Pontiac Grand Am approached the residence and was asked to pull over by the officer outside. Coulter was in the passenger seat. Both he and the female driver were arrested and the driver was later released.

Police “explained to Coulter that they had a search warrant and would require some time to search the whole of Mr. Coulter’s residence given how packed it was with items and disheveled it was inside, said Crown counsel Ginger Holmes.

Coulter complied and led them on a tour of the house.

Upon reaching the bedroom, “Mr. Coulter explained that his mind was failing him and he had to think about where his drugs were,” said Holmes. “He said the only way he could do so is if he went through his routine of sitting on the bed and going through the motions of getting them.”

Coulter then sat on the bed, closed his eyes and reached up to the open shelf above him. He pulled out a black plastic container with a 46.57 g block of cocaine inside, claiming he paid $1,200 for it.

Coulter told police he wasn’t selling the cocaine, but “helps his friends out,” said Holmes.

A narcotics expert with the RCMP valued the cocaine at $1,500 – or $3,700 if it were to be divided into half-gram portions.

Coulter has emphysema, a chronic respiratory disease. He requires a puffer at all times and a sleep apnea machine at night in order to breathe. He made frequent use of his puffer in the court and rasped and coughed.

“He is in poor health, has stayed out of trouble for the last 10 years and it is noted by the officers that he was extremely cooperative,” Holmes said as she explained her rationale for agreeing to the 90-day sentence to be served on weekends.

“Quite frankly, my lord, I’m surprised Mr. Coulter is still with us at this point in time,” said defence counsel James Pennington. “Doctors were not optimistic about his breathing problems.”

Justice Gary Weatherill readily agreed to the joint submission.

“I am satisfied that Mr. Coulter has addressed his wrongdoing and is prepared to face the consequences from that,” the judge said.

Coulter stood up in court and apologized for his actions.

“You’ll never see me here again,” he said.