Man has vehicle, money stolen after offering friend a ride

When a friend offered David Abel Adams a place to sleep and a ride to the bus depot the next morning, Adams repaid the kindness by stealing his friend’s car and driving himself to his destination in Melfort.

The friend discovered this when he woke up at his home in Saskatoon on Jan. 22 and discovered his car keys and $500 in cash missing from his jeans pocket, said Crown prosecutor Frank Impey.

Adams, 38, pleaded guilty Wednesday to theft of a motor vehicle in connection with the 2006 Acura he took from his friend. The two had met when they were both serving terms in the penitentiary.

Adams also pleaded guilty to obstructing police when he gave a false name on Aug. 11 when they responded to a complaint of damage to a business in Cochin. He has been in custody since then.

Drinking is at the root of all of Adams’s offences, said defence lawyer Graham Dove. He and his friend were partying the night before the theft and at first Adams said he thought the theft accusation was a misunderstanding, but he now realizes he has to take responsibility for his actions.

Judge Rosemary Weisgerber accepted the joint recommendation from the Crown and defence for a one-year sentence, minus the time Adams has spent on remand, leaving 10 months, 15 days left to serve.

High-speed chase

A man who led police on a highspeed chase ended up behind bars after the stolen minivan he was driving ran out of gas.

Warman RCMP saw Justin Kyle White, 21, driving a blue minivan at a high speed on Aug. 15 at about 1 a.m. He was coming into Saskatoon, southbound on Idylwyld Drive.

The RCMP member activated his emergency equipment and followed White, who accelerated before abruptly pulling a U-turn at 39th Street and driving back, northbound on Idylwyld. White “looked right at the police officer,” as they passed each other, Crown prosecutor Frank Impey said.

The police officer did a U-turn of his own and continued to follow White out of town on Highway 16. At one point, White encountered two semi-trailers meeting each other and rather than slow down, he passed on the shoulder.

Ultimately, however, White ran out of gas and police arrested him. There was damage to the ignition of the minivan and a screwdriver on the console, so it must have been obvious to White the van was stolen, Impey said.

The Crown and defence lawyer Deb Hopkins presented a joint submission for nine months in jail and a two-year driving prohibition after White pleaded guilty to flight from a police officer and possession of stolen property.

“It’s a miracle that no one was hurt or killed, including yourself. What comes over you?” Weisgerber asked White.

“I was under the influence,” White replied.

Weisgerber accepted the joint recommendation and sentenced White to nine months.