Woman gets jail for break-in offences
A P.E.I. woman believed to have been on drugs and hallucinating when she broke into a Charlottetown home looking for her gun and instead took a resident's car keys has been sentenced for that and other offences.
Jacqulyn Veronica Richard, 32, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on April 23 for two break and enter offences and missing court in provincial court in Charlottetown. Richard appeared in court by video from the Provincial Correctional Centre.
THE FACTS
With respect to the first break and enter offence, Crown attorney Jeff Macdonald told the court that on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, at around 7:30 a.m., Richard and Colby Joseph Strickland were at The Techie business at 317 Queen St. Video surveillance footage captured Strickland pick up an object (possibly a large rock) and throw it through a window. Strickland then went inside the business while Richard served as the "lookout," said Macdonald.
Strickland previously pleaded guilty to the break and enter offence and was sentenced to four months in jail.
LOOKING FOR HER GUN
Then on Dec. 14, 2023, at 1:50 a.m., Charlottetown police received a call of a break and enter in progress at a residence on St. Peters Road.
When police arrived, they saw Richard walking around vehicles in the driveway. As Richard was talking to a police officer, a resident identified her as the person who was inside the residence and carrying their vehicle ice scraper. Richard took the car keys of one of the resident's vehicles in the driveway. The residence's front window had been smashed. Richard also said that the residents knew her, and she was there to get her gun. Richard appeared to be on drugs at the time and was saying nonsensical things and appeared to be hallucinating, said Macdonald.
While the charges were before the court, Richard was ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment. The assessment found her to be mentally fit to stand trial and criminally responsible. Richard's psychotic behaviour on Dec. 14 was drug induced, according to the assessment report.
Richard's prior criminal record includes a 48-month federal prison sentence for break, enter and committing an indictable offence, robbery with violence and wearing a mask in relation to two incidents on the same date (July 29, 2017) in Stratford and Borden-carleton. Richard was one of four people charged and sentenced for those incidents. Richard also has convictions for theft and unauthorized possession of credit cards.
SENTENCE
Chief Judge Jeff Lantz accepted a joint recommendation from Macdonald and legal-aid lawyer Chris Van Ouwerkerk and sentenced Richard to a total of 12 months in jail and two years of probation for all of the offences. The sentence breaks down into 12 months for break, enter and committing an indictable offence on Dec. 14 at the St. Peters Road residence, three months concurrent for break and enter with the intent to commit an indictable offence at the Charlottetown business and 15 days in jail concurrent for missing court on Oct. 26, 2023. Richard was also ordered to pay $241.50 in restitution to the residents at St. Peters Road for the broken window.
Richard was given enhanced credit of 196 days for time spent in pre-sentence custody since her arrest on Dec. 14.