A Prince George man police had once identified as a member of the Renegades Motorcycle Club has been sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence for his roll in an shoplifting and tire-slashing incident.
Jason Alexander Hall, 43, has fallen a long way since his days of notoriety, the court heard Wednesday, to the point where he and another man were found in his mother's Dodge Neon with a "shopping list" of items that were to be stolen to pay for at least one of the occupants' drug habits.
Hall pleaded guilty to theft under $5,000, mischief under $5,000 and possession of methamphetamine from an April 17 incident that began when Jason Fredrick Hebert, 40, ran out of the Canadian Tire big box store with an axe and a cordless drill without paying for them.
When several people gave chase, Hebert brandished a knife to ward them off, the court was told, and then jumped into the car Hall was driving. The two took off, but they were unable to shake a member of the public who hopped into his own vehicle, called 911, took a photo of the car and followed the duo while giving live updates to the RCMP.
When Hall stopped the car, got out and asked the man why he was being followed, he was told he needed to go back to the store. Hall denied the theft and got back into the car while Hebert got out, ran back and slashed a tire of the pursuer's pickup truck.
RCMP apprehended the two a short time later when they pulled into a gas station. One hit of methamphetamine was found on Hall.
Seven days later, Hebert pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and was sentenced to 551 days in jail.
In a joint submission given Wednesday, Crown prosecutor Geoffrey McDonald and defence lawyer Jason LeBlond argued a two-year suspended sentence was appropriate for Hall, who was identified as an accessory and did not know Hebert was going to rob the Canadian Tire.
Moreover, said McDonald, it appears Hall has hit rock bottom in terms of his addiction and has fallen so far in stature in the criminal drug world that he was severely beaten while in custody after he was arrested.
Hall's bout with addiction began when a retail clothing business he was operating went under last summer, the court heard. He was last before the court in 2006 when he was given a two-year conditional sentence for trafficking.
Although Hall has been identified as a longtime full-patch Renegade, LeBlond said his client's involvement with organized crime has been exaggerated and described him as a father of three who has attempted to get some post-secondary education.
In agreeing with counsels' submission, Judge Michael Gray told Hall he came very close to being issued a term behind bars and warned him to stay away from Hebert and out of trouble in general.
Conditions of his sentence include agreeing to take residential treatment for drug and alcohol addiction as directed by his probation officer.
