Theft of tire, gas card leads to jail for Tugaske resident
A vehicle breakdown in the Village of Eyebrow led Jordan Reinhold Dean Shields to steal a tire as a replacement, but when police arrived, they also discovered Shields possessed an unlicensed firearm. Appearing in Moose Jaw provincial court on Sept. 4, Shields, 36, pleaded guilty to fraud under $5,000, possession and use of a stolen credit card, possession of property obtained by crime, possession of a weapon, and breaching an undertaking. The Crown stayed five other charges. Judge Brian Hendrickson accepted a joint submission from the Crown and defence, which suggested Shields serve only one day in jail for his offences — that day being his appearance in court. Shields had spent 17 days in jail from when he was arrested in August to his court appearance but was credited with 26 days served based on court procedures. The judge agreed that those 26 days — plus five days for the guilty pleas — be served concurrently, or at the same time, as the one-day sentence.
Shields also had to forfeit his rifle and all the ammunition seized. Civilians are not legally allowed to carry extended magazine clips.
Police were advised that a vehicle tire and grease gun had been stolen in Eyebrow on Aug. 19, explained Crown prosecutor Stephen Yusuff. Officers spotted Shields’ vehicle in the middle of the road when they arrived and arrested him and two others. During a vehicle search, the police found a semi-automatic rifle, two prohibited 20-round magazines, and the grease gun. Yusuff pointed out Shields was not licensed to possess firearms. In fact, the Tugaske resident was on probation with requirements to not possess firearms, ammunition or prohibited weapons. Shields borrowed his father’s vehicle for his trip to Eyebrow to help a friend, explained defence lawyer Estes Fonkalsrud. When the breakdown happened, Shields walked to a shop and took the tire. That’s when he was reported and police found the rifle.
“He uses (the rifle) to shoot coyotes on (his parents’) farm,” Fonkalsrud said. “But the clips make it a restricted weapon. He acknowledges it was not appropriate.”
Shields pawned a drill at Happy Jack’s Pawn Shop in Regina on Oct. 16, 2018, said Yusuff. The drill had been stolen from a business in Swift Current. Shields managed to get $60 for the drill. He pawned the drill since he had been working for someone who shorted him money on a job, Fonkalsrud said. He decided to recoup the money by pawning the tool.
More than a year earlier, Shields had been released on an undertaking on April 9, 2018 with conditions to keep the peace and be of good behaviour, Yusuff explained. However, on Dec. 6, 2018, Shields was arrested for possessing a stolen Co-op fuel card that belonged to South Sask. Bus Lines. He used the card to purchase $1,042 in fuel from the Moose Jaw Co-op fuel depot on the north service road. Shields apparently knew an employee with the bus company who was a relative of the owner, Fonkalsrud explained. The defence lawyer spoke to the employee, who noted the owner and Shields had worked out a plan to pay back the money. However, Fonkalsrud didn’t think restitution was possible since Shields is jobless. Apologies
Sitting inside the prisoner’s box, Shields expressed his remorse about his actions in Eyebrow to Judge Hendrickson.
“I made a bad decision. I should have made a phone call. It was a bad judgment call,” Shields added.