A Red Deer man who pleaded guilty to participating in a home invasion earlier this year and other charges was sentenced to five years in prison.
Rodney David Irvine, 42, pleaded guilty to break and enter of a dwelling house on Tuesday in Red Deer provincial court.
Court heard that on May 4, Irvine broke into a Red Deer residence while the occupant was calling 911 for help.
He also pleaded guilty to possession of a restricted firearm, possession of stolen property, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a weapon while prohibited, and failure to comply with conditions.
Those charges were laid after Irvine failed to stop for Red Deer RCMP on May 9, 2011.
When the vehicle finally stopped, the occupants fled. Inside the vehicle, police found a bag containing a loaded sawed-off shot gun.
Other charges relating to both incidents were withdrawn by the Crown.
Both Crown prosecutor Tony Bell and defence lawyer Brad Mulder recommended the five-year prison sentence, with no eligibility for parole for two-and-a-half years.
Mulder told the court his client got involved in drugs and turned to a life of crime to support his drug habit.
He said Irvine didn’t know the gun was in the bag, but was aware of the violent criminal history of one of the people riding in the vehicle.
The man whose house was invaded was also a drug dealer, Mulder said.
Judge Bert Skinner reduced Irvine’s sentence by 214 days for the time he spent in Red Deer Remand.
Alexander Talbot, 20, who was also charged in the home invasion, remains in custody and returns to court on Jan. 15.