Edmonton man sentenced to seven months

An Edmonton man who faced criminal charges in the capital city and Lethbridge has been sent to jail for seven months.

Mario Ramsankar pleaded guilty this week in Lethbridge provincial court to charges of dangerous driving, possession of stolen property, resisting a peace officer, failure to attend court, assault and fraudulently obtaining food.

The 55-year-old man, who appeared in court by closed-circuit TV from the Lethbridge Correctional Centre, was pulled over in a traffic stop in Edmonton July 3, 2015. He sped off, however, and during the ensuing chase crashed the stolen vehicle into a fence in a residential area. Ramsankar and his two passengers fled and foot, but he was later identified and arrested. He was also caught in possession of stolen licence plates.

A year later Ramsankar failed to pay his bill after eating at a restaurant in Lethbridge. When he attempted to leave, a couple of employees tried to stop him and he pushed a waitress.

Then earlier this year, police, following up on an arrest warrant, tracked Ramsankar to a Lethbridge residence and found him hiding under a blanket. When he attempted to leave he struggled with a police officer before he was finally arrested.

Legal Aid lawyer Brett Carlson told court that Ramsankar, for the first time in his life, is in a stable relationship with a woman he met in Lethbridge. He suggested a jail sentence of six months, instead of the 15 months sought by the Crown, would be appropriate given the efforts, including counselling, Ramsankar has made to change his life.

Judge Gerald DeBow sentenced Ramsankar to seven months in jail, but after giving him credit for the equivalent amount of time he has already spent in custody, his sentence is served. Ramsankar will also be on probation for two years.

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