Violent offender-turned-pimp pleads guilty
Sentenced to time served for forcing troubled teenage girl into prostitution
Violent offender Michael Wilfred Allard was once warned by a Superior Court judge that his criminal record was so bad, he might be kept behind bars indefinitely.
Allard racked up more convictions Tuesday, this time for forcing a troubled teenager into prostitution, but plea bargained his way to being released with time served.
Allard, 33, pleaded guilty to uttering death threats and deriving a financial benefit from prostitution. His accomplice, Johnathan Richard Malott, 25, pleaded guilty to being a party to forcible confinement. The two men, who have been in jail for about 1½ years awaiting trial, were sentenced Tuesday to time served.
Allard’s girlfriend, Page Holly Dalgleish, 22, had human trafficking charges against her dismissed in exchange for agreeing to a restraining order. She can’t contact the victim or come within 100 metres of her.
The victim’s identity is protected by a publication ban.
Court heard Tuesday the victim came to Malott on Oct. 24, 2015, looking to buy pot. Malott introduced the then-19-year-old to Allard, taking her to the apartment Allard shared with Dalgleish. The two men took the teen into the bedroom where they photographed her in various stages of undress. The photos were used for an ad they posted on a website called backpage.com.
Allard became the teen’s pimp, booking appointments with clients. He kept all the money she made from turning tricks.
Except for meeting clients, the girl was not allowed to leave the apartment. Allard told her, “If you leave, I will (expletive) kill you.”
On Oct. 28, 2015, Allard took the teen to a residence where she was to meet a client. From that residence the teen was able to contact police and escape.
“Everyday, I live in misery and unhappiness,” the young woman said in a statement read out in court Tuesday. She said she still lives in fear.
Allard, Malott and Dalgleish were all to stand trial this week on human trafficking charges. The victim did not come to court on Monday when she was to testify, so the judge adjourned the trial for a day so police could find her. When she showed up on Tuesday, the lawyers for Allard, Malott and Dalgleish began plea negotiations with the prosecutor.
Assistant Crown attorney Craig Houle said the plea bargain spared the “vulnerable” victim from having to face her captors and testify.
“These are her wishes,” Houle said. “Not having to testify and being cross-examined, not having to relive what happened and being revictimized.”
Malott was a fentanyl addict at the time of the crime, defence lawyer Linda McCurdy told the court. Being in jail has made him clean and sober.
“Eighteen months is my longest period of incarceration. I had time to get my head on straight,” Malott told Justice Steven Rogin.
Malott’s criminal record of 19 convictions pales in comparison to Allard’s violent record that includes 61 convictions.
In 2013, Allard put a man in a coma during a robbery. During a 2010 robbery of a gay man, Allard beat his victim to a pulp while yelling homophobic slurs at him. In 2002, he was convicted for stealing his mother’s car, hitting a pedestrian and trying to run over a police officer while trying to flee. He led police on a highspeed chase that ended in a crash.
Allard’s record also includes convictions for spousal assault, drug trafficking and escaping police custody.
In 2015, he was sentenced to three years in a federal penitentiary for the violent robbery of a man riding his bike away from a pawnshop. At the time of that sentencing, Superior Court Justice Bruce Thomas told Allard he was a “prime candidate” to be declared a dangerous offender someday. Such a designation could keep him behind bars indefinitely.
Yet Allard has racked up more convictions since that time. After being freed on bail on the human trafficking charges, Allard was caught in possession of drugs.
Tuesday’s judge told Allard and Malott they should consider themselves lucky to get such a lenient sentence. Crimes involving human trafficking usually invite “much longer sentences,” he said.
Their sentenced deemed served, Allard and Malott are now on probation for three years.