A young Prince George man was sentenced Tuesday to 15 months in jail followed by two years probation for taking a stolen pickup truck on a wild ride.
Less credit for time served prior to sentencing, Mason Lee Henry-Larose, 20, has a further 192 days to serve in jail. He was also prohibited from driving for one year and ordered to provide a DNA sample.
The terms stem from a July 16 incident that began when the truck had been reported stolen from a Nations Crescent home.
About four hours later, an RCMP officer spotted a truck matching the description near Fifth Avenue and Highway 97. By the time the officer was able to safely turn around, the vehicle was gone.
But minutes later, police received multiple reports of the truck hitting another vehicle on Simon Fraser Bridge and then carrying on and hitting a second vehicle near the entrance to the BCR industrial site.
By that time, it was being driven on a flat tire and against the flow of traffic and, as it entered the lot of a nearby gas station, it was going at a speed high enough to make one witness worry he was going to be hit, the court heard during a recounting of the event.
Henry-Larose, who was behind the wheel, and co-accused Karl Robert Boreland jumped out of the pickup truck. Henry-Larose attempted to steal another truck stopped at the gas station, but its owner was able to grab Henry-Larose and pull him out.
Boreland was quickly arrested while Henry-Larose fled on foot. He was found hiding near a concrete post by the Continental Way overpass and, as officers converged, he ran across the highway where he was soon apprehended following a struggle.
The entire incident lasted about 10 minutes and no one was hurt but that gained little traction with provincial court judge Cassandra Malfair.
"This situation could've easily resulted in tragic or even fatal consequences," Malfair said. "The sentence imposed by this court must hammer home to Mr. Henry-Larose that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated and deter others from repeating it."
Crown counsel had been seeking 18 months in jail while defence counsel argued for time served. In settling on 15 months, Malfair took into account Henry-Larose's decision to plead guilty to four counts, his youth, his aboriginal background and his childhood which was filled with violence and abuse.
