Woman who fled drug sentencing finally sent to jail 3 1/2 years later

A woman found guilty of trafficking drugs was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in jail Monday.

Laurie-Ann Williams was convicted in February 2015 in B.C. Supreme Court of seven counts of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking.

The drugs she was caught with included heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy, LSD and prescription medications, which were found in the back of a truck when it was stopped by a Penticton RCMP officer in May 2012.

The total street value of the drugs was estimated at between $7,406 and $8,955.

Crown counsel Clarke Burnett described it as a “virtual drug store of controlled substances.”

Williams was to be sentenced in May 2015 in Penticton, but when she did not show up, a warrant was issued for her arrest.

She was finally caught and arrested on Sept. 6 in Edson, Alta.

Defence counsel James Pennington said in a Kelowna court Monday that Williams had felt her safety was in jeopardy following a run-in with an old acquaintance, prompting her to flee to Alberta following her conviction.

For the more than three years she was living in Alberta, Williams was gainfully employed, the court heard Monday.

“It does show she has the potential for changing her ways and living her life on the straight and narrow,” said Pennington.

Pennington had previously proposed a two-year jail sentence, but in court Monday he amended his submission to be a conditional sentence order of two years less a day.

Burnett argued for a three-year jail sentence.

He said it was not appropriate to give Williams credit for living a lawful life while avoiding the authorities.

“The court is then saying to others that if you avoid the consequences of your actions for a sufficient period of time and live a responsible life, you’re going to receive lesser consequences when you finally come back in the system,” said Burnett. “I say it’s not appropriate that Ms. Williams be given the benefit of a conditional sentence order.”

Williams has an extensive criminal record dating back to 1991, including several drug-related offences.

For the offence at hand, she was arrested on May 5, 2012, and was in custody until June 18, 2012. She has been in custody following her arrest on Sept. 6 of this year.

In total, Williams has served 148 days in jail.

In court Monday, Justice Gordon Weatherill sentenced her to 30 months in jail for each count of possession for the purpose of trafficking, to be served concurrently.

With credit for time served, Williams has 678 new days to serve.

Prior to her sentencing, Williams addressed the court, saying she feels bad for what she has done and that she has been making efforts to turn her life around, including taking courses while in custody.

“I commend you for what you have done in recent months since you were arrested,” Weatherill said. “But I trust that you will understand that the court must recognize the seriousness of the trafficking and those drugs that you were convicted of. It’s a scourge upon society and it has to come to a stop.”