The man accused of threatening to hurt a Fas Gas clerk, just weeks after an employee at the same location was shot in the hands and face, has pleaded guilty.
Mitchell Brunet, 27, pleaded guilty to uttering threats on Thursday in Red Deer provincial court. The Crown withdrew the robbery charge as a result of the plea.
He has spent the last 11 days in custody and was sentenced to time served after his plea.
On Sept. 21, police were called to the West Park Fas Gas for a reported robbery. Crown prosecutor Jillian Brown said the clerk and Brunet had a verbal altercation relating to another customer. That customer, Karla Pittman, had stolen a pair of lighters. She pleaded guilty to a theft under $5,000 on Oct. 3.
Brown said the clerk mistakenly thought Pittman was with Brunet and demanded Brunet grab Pittman in relation to the lighter theft. A verbal altercation ensued and escalated to the point that Brunet threatened to return and beat the clerk.
This took place two weeks after a different employee was shot in the hands and face during a robbery at the same gas station and Brown said the recent incident had the clerk on edge. Brunet told the court he was not aware of the incident and if he had known he would have held his tongue.
He also apologized for wasting the court’s time with such stupidity.