‘Polite bandit’ sentenced for robberies at drugstores
Thief who apologized while holding up pharmacies gets six years in jail
The man Saskatoon police dubbed the “polite bandit” was sentenced to six years in prison for a string of pharmacy robberies and break-ins last year.
Tyler Sladek, 22, pleaded guilty to seven robbery and theft charges and was sentenced in Saskatoon provincial court Friday afternoon. After factoring in remand credit on his sentence, which was based on a joint submission from Crown and defence lawyers, he has five years and one month left to serve.
“I’ve caused emotional harm to the victims and my family,” Sladek said in court before he was sentenced. “I tried to deal with my addiction alone and I’ve learned by talking to people that I’m not alone.”
Sladek robbed several pharmacies and broke into a senior’s complex in 2014. Saskatoon police had formed a task force to catch him and had him under surveillance before his arrest.
Police dubbed Sladek the “polite bandit” because in several incidents he apologized to the pharmacists he robbed. Sladek often concealed his face and demanded the opiate pill called hydromorphone, court heard.
One pharmacy worker reported Sladek saying, “I’m sorry. I don’t really want to do this,” and described him as apologetic. He often told victims he had a weapon.
He also broke into a home and stole electronics and broke into a senior’s complex by pretending he was a plumber looking for tools he left behind so he could go into individual suites.
The crimes were not violent but did traumatize the people he robbed, court heard.
Several victim impact statements were filed with the court, as was a package of letters in support of Sladek. A number of Sladek’s family members were in court for the sentencing.
Sladek is on methadone treatment and told court he wants to get addiction counselling while in jail. His lawyer George Combe told court Sladek’s drug problems started while his dad was dying of cancer. He was 16 when his dad died and the loss of the close relationship they had severely affected him and a drug addiction eventually led to the robberies, court heard.