A Prince George man has been sentenced to 23 months of house arrest for possession of methamphetamine and crack cocaine for the purpose of trafficking as part of an "ill conceived" attempt to make money when he fell on hard times.
During the sentencing Friday of Garth Goodkey, 42, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon warned he came within a "hair's breadth" of serving the term in jail.
The term stems from an October 2008 raid on Goodkey's 1500 block Pine Street home after Canada Border Services Agency intercepted a package addressed to Goodkey that contained 2.6 kilograms of anabolic steroids from China.
An undercover RCMP officer carried out a "controlled delivery" to the home and Goodkey was arrested. A search of his home uncovered 99.7 grams of methamphetamine worth $19,800 on the street and 191.1 grams of crack cocaine worth $19,000, as well as a container of jellied cocaine, packages of small baggies, and a notebook to keep track of transactions.
Police also found a shotgun and handgun with ammunition, $6,000 in cash, six vials of anabolic steroids and three packages of syringes.
Fenlon noted that Goodkey has no criminal record and had worked continuously as a heavy duty mechanic since completing Grade 12.
Goodkey successfully ran a logging company until 2004 when trouble in the forest industry forced him out of the business. He moved to Fort St. John for a year and returned to Prince George and began working in construction.
The business went well until 2007 when a failed renovation of a local hotel left him with a $134,000 shortfall. Unable to find work, he turned to trafficking.
Goodkey has since found a job as a heavy equipment operator with a Prince George employer although he is now off work with a shoulder separation.
Fenlon noted Goodkey was selling drugs that are highly addictive and, in the case of methamphetamine, causes brain damage, and was doing so not as an addict himself but as a "calculated" way to make money.
But Fenlon also noted Goodkey was not in the business of producing the drugs and pleaded guilty to two charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking. And although he did so on the day the trial was to begin, he had been in discussions with Crown counsel well before then and, through his lawyer, expressed since remorse for his actions.
He's the father of three children and pays about $1,200 per month to his ex-wife in support payments indicating that jail time would hurt his family, Fenlon also noted.
The terms of Goodkey's house arrest are that he only be away when at work or to attend medical and dental appointments, court hearings and church services. Outings must come with prior written approval that he must keep with him when out in the public.
He is also prohibited from consuming alcohol or entering a bar or liquor store, and is limited to four hours on a Saturday or Sunday to run errands. He must also provide a DNA sample and was issued a 10-year firearms prohibition.
Fenlon also urged Goodkey to search out a documentary on the effects of methamphetamine to watch while serving his time.
