Man who skipped jail gets more time

Kyle Clifford Palmer was unlawfully at large while committing string of crimes

A P.E.I. man who committed a string of offences while he was unlawfully at large from jail was recently given more time in custody.

Kyle Clifford Palmer, 34, appeared before Chief Judge Nancy Orr in provincial court in Charlottetown where he pleaded guilty to being unlawfully at large, using a stolen credit card and two counts of theft.

Crown attorney Nathan Beck told the court that on Sept. 6, Palmer was supposed to be in jail on a sentence he was serving on weekends for a theft.

Instead, jail staff called the police to report Palmer didn’t show up.

Palmer didn’t report to the jail until his arrest on Sept. 27.

The court heard that while he was at large, Palmer went to a Kent store in Charlottetown on Sept. 10 where he stole a tool worth $179.

Palmer returned to the Kent store on Sept. 19 and stole tools valued at about $570.

Beck said Palmer went to a Circle K store the next day and used a credit card that was reported stolen from a vehicle.

Palmer used the card twice to buy $162.66 worth of Visa gift cards.

Beck told the court Palmer had a 23-page criminal record that included possessing property obtained by crime, assaults, a break and enter and multiple thefts.

The record also included nine failures to comply with court orders, Beck said.

Palmer also owes the province more than $17,000 in fines and restitution.

With the time spent in custody since his arrest, Palmer has finished the sentence he was originally supposed to serve on weekends.

Orr also gave Palmer further credit of 39 days for time spent in custody, leaving him 81 days still to serve on the most recent offences. Palmer must also pay $915 in restitution.