Woman gets prison for pins in food
Tatyana Granada showed a wanton disregard for the safety of the public, Calgary Co-op and its employees when she repeatedly placed needles, pins, nails and other sharp objects into food products two years ago, a judge said in sentencing her Tuesday to three years in prison.
“This was mean and malicious behaviour, escalating against the Co-op,” said Judge Gerald Meagher. “It goes beyond the victim. It could have caused danger to members of the public.
“Except for her arrest, there was no indication there was going to be any let-up in her behaviour, in time, the number of contaminants and the number of food products affected.”
Meagher had convicted Granada, 45, on Feb. 17 of four counts of mischief and four counts of trespassing in connection with the incidents at the Oakridge Coop in southwest Calgary on Jan. 13, Jan. 18, Feb. 17 and March 10, 2010.
The judge said the woman’s actions were vindictive after having been charged with shoplifting at the store on Dec. 18, 2009 — just under a month before the spree of food-tampering incidents began.
She was barred from all Co-op stores after she was charged with shoplifting.
“She embarked on a program of harassment that escalated in planned and deliberate fashion over a period of two months against the Co-op with reckless disregard for the harm to the community,” Meagher said.
Granada, who defended herself for the sentencing hearing after her lawyer withdrew recently, was defiant in her assertion that she did not commit the crimes, was not able to properly defend herself at trial and was wrongfully convicted.
When the judge pronounced his sentence, Granada said: “You got it wrong. I have children you must think about. Shameful.”
Earlier, Granada presented seven letters written by her late husband and herself denying any involvement in the food tampering and bemoaning the effect it has had on her and her family.
Granada also read a similar letter to the judge that summed up the contents of the other letters.
She accused Crown prosecutor Martha O’connor of “messing up the facts” and the judge of finding her guilty on weak circumstantial evidence just because she was in the store on the days the objects were found.
O’connor had sought a total of 31/2 years for the four food-tampering charges.
She cited several aggravating factors, in particular the fact the tampering incidents were “vindictive and mean” and that they escalated over time, with increasingly more and more sharp objects being placed in different types of food.
I sincerely hope you realize that this kind of conduct is totally and absolutely unacceptable
JUDGE GERALD MEAGHER
She also noted the offender took her two children with her to the store on two occasions, placing the pins in food with her children a short distance away.
O’connor, calling it a “ruthless attitude towards the public,” also said Granada’s behaviour may not have stopped if she hadn’t been arrested shortly after the March 10 incidents that were captured on increased video surveillance cameras.
She also noticed the woman’s lack of remorse and that forensic psychiatrist Dr. Yuri Metelitsa described her as narcissistic, self-centred and having some psychopathic traits.
The judge also fined Granada $500 for each of the four trespassing incidents, but gave her 24 days in default and made them concurrent to the three-year prison term.
He gave her credit for just over two months already spent in custody since her convictions, leaving her with just under 34 months to serve.
Meagher also told her before she was taken away by a sheriff: “I sincerely hope you realize that this kind of conduct is totally and absolutely unacceptable.”
Granada was also given a five-year prohibition on the possession or use of firearms and other weapons.
Despite the woman’s claims of innocence throughout, Meagher previously said when he found her guilty that it was “illogical” to conclude anyone other than Granada could have maliciously inserted the objects into buns, cheese products, vegetables and other food at the Co-op.
The judge noted the fear extended beyond the store and public. It also gave staff sleepless nights, looking over their shoulders at one another and trips to the police station to be interrogated.
They were also fingerprinted and had to provide DNA as potential suspects.
The Co-op estimated it lost at least $600,000 in business and costs associated with the extensive investigation and damage to its reputation.
Employees had their hours cut back and some quit because of the stress.
There were no further incidents after Granada was arrested.
Granada previously pleaded guilty to the original shoplifting charge, was barred from the store for life and was given a conditional discharge.