Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Dangerous driving yields four more months

A Prince George man was sentenced to a further four months in jail Thursday for dangerous driving and fleeing from a police officer.

A Prince George man was sentenced to a further four months in jail Thursday for dangerous driving and fleeing from a police officer.

Neil Romeo Joseph Hamel, 36, who has already been in custody for four months, was also issued a two-year driving prohibition upon completion of the sentence.

The outcome stems from an April 24 incident when an RCMP officer who knew Hamel does not have a driver's licence saw him driving a pickup truck northbound on Cowart Road towards Highway 16.

The officer pulled a u-turn and activated his siren and lights just as Hamel was turning onto the highway. Hamel continued into the city at about 100 km/h and turned east onto Ferry Avenue, the court was told.

The officer used his vehicles loud hailer to ask Hamel by name to pull over. But Hamel kept going and side swiped another vehicle, almost forcing it off the road and the officer stopped the chase.

Shortly afterward, police located Hamel walking west on Village Avenue towards Lillooet Street where he was arrested and the truck, which was determined to have been stolen, was found abandoned a short distance away.

Crown prosecution had recommended a further six to eight months in jail while defence urged time served, noting in part that he pleaded guilty to the two charges, preventing a two-day trial scheduled for October in the process.

There was also no accident and no damage to property, it was also noted.

In passing sentence, provincial court judge Dan Weatherly noted that if not for some smart police work, the incident could have turned out much worse and found Hamel showed a total disregard for other people's safety.

However, he agreed that Hamel did enter a guilty plea, although he could have done so much sooner, and appeared to show some remorse.

Charges against Hamel of possession of stolen property under $5,000 and possession of a break-instrument were stayed.