Woman guilty of truck theft, robbery gets federal prison time

Tracey Adele Blackie sat quietly on the prisoner’s bench in Pictou provincial court Wednesday hoping for the best in a worst-case situation.

The 32-year-old New Glasgow woman knew her lawyer and the Crown would be recommending she be sentenced to two years plus a day in a federal prison.

All she had to do was hope the provincial court judge would send her there.

After pleading guilty to multiple charges including robbery, theft of a vehicle and possession of stolen property in relation to incidents in late May, Blackie had been remanded into custody at the Burnside Correctional Facility until Wednesday’s sentencing.

Her lawyer, Stephen Robertson, said her guilty pleas to robbery of a service station in Tatamagouche, theft of a truck and possession of stolen property came quickly because, when she is guilty, she will admit to it.

New Glasgow Regional Police said they received a 911 call that a truck had been stolen from a driveway at an Acadia Street residence at 2:17 a.m. on May 26. Shortly before 3 a.m., police said they attempted to stop the vehicle on Abercrombie Road and stopped the chase out of concern “for the safety of the officers and the suspect involved.” Police said the accused went to a service station in Tatamagouche just before 6 a.m., putting fuel in the vehicle and then entering the store and demanding money.

The truck’s owner told The News the vehicle was dented in various areas on its body. A standalone restitution order for damages has been filed with the court for $10,413.94.

With 23 prior convictions, Blackie is no stranger to the court system, but in the past her crimes have been propertyrelated offences rather than ones of violence.

However, her lawyer said, two years ago things started to go sideways.

“I’ve found her to be an intelligent and articulate woman, but over the last two years she lost the ability to control her own life,” he said.

He said her drug addiction had taken hold of her and she now needs the advanced programming of a federal prison such as the Nova Institution for Women in Truro to get her life back on track.

“I am hoping she will finally get the proper medical attention,” Robertson said. “It is something she is unable to do for herself.”

When Judge Del Atwood asked Robertson if his client wanted to say anything, Blackie stood and pleaded with him to send her to Truro rather than back to Burnside.

“I don’t have many people left in my life after this,” she said. “The Nova Institution is my best chance to make it through all of this.”

Blackie said during the two weeks she spent on remand at the Burnside Correctional Facility she was scared of her fellow female inmates who threatened to beat someone up every day. She said her level of exhaustion is so high from lack of sleep she considered banging her head on the wall just to knock her self out.

Yet, Blackie said, she took her remand time there to get sober and reflect on her life.

“I want to try and get a trade,” she said. “I want to get my life back together. I have plans for my life. I am not crazy on pills and drugs. I don’t want to go back there, but a place like Burnside will drive me back there.”

Atwood said while a charge of robbery usually nets a higher sentence than two years in federal prison, there are extenuating circumstances in this case.

He said since Blackie has no history of violent crimes in the past, the robbery charge is “out of character for her.”

He acknowledged that she has dealt both “effectively and ineffectively” with her drug addiction in the past, but has also proven she is an intellectual and resourceful individual when it comes to coping with past traumas in her life involving abuse.

Atwood said Blackie has good insight into her problems and based on her words to the court Wednesday, is extremely remorseful for her actions.

He agreed with the joint recommendation, saying that if she works hard, she will benefit from the programs offered at the federal institution.

“I look forward to the day when we see each other on the streets of New Glasgow and say hello to each other,” he said.